Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‘s Sacha Coenen returned to winning ways at the Grand Prix of Sweden, claiming a comprehensive 1-1 victory at the historic Uddevalla circuit. The Belgian’s seventh overall win of the 2026 season reduces the championship deficit to just 24 points with four rounds remaining.
Round 15 of the 2026 MXGP FIM World Championship took place in bright, warm conditions at the time-honoured Swedish venue north of Gothenburg. The compact, stony hardpack circuit provided rutty, dry and bumpy racing as the championship enters its final stretch before heading to Turkey, China and Australia.
Coenen dominated both motos aboard the KTM 250 SX-F, taking his 12th holeshot of the campaign in the opening race and controlling proceedings from start to finish. Despite pressure from Liam Everts, the #19 rider secured his first moto win since round eight in Latvia with a measured performance.
The second moto followed an identical script. Coenen grabbed the holeshot and built a three-second advantage by the halfway point of the 30-minute plus two-lap race. He defended the gap from Everts to secure his third 1-1 result of the term and fourth overall GP victory of 2026.
“I’m back where I belong. I’m really happy,” said Coenen. “It’s a great feeling to come back from injury and to win again. We put in a lot of hard work to get here. Really happy with the riding and dealt with the pressure.”
Teammate Simon Laengenfelder finished sixth overall with 5-5 scores. The German, who claimed Pole Position on Saturday for the fourth time in five events, struggled to find clear passing opportunities on the tight Swedish circuit. Laengenfelder remains fourth in the championship standings, 61 points from the red plate.
In MXGP, Andrea Adamo secured seventh overall aboard a new specification KTM 450 SX-F. The Italian rookie grabbed the holeshot in the opening moto and held fourth for much of the race before finishing fifth. A seventh in moto two gave him seventh overall, maintaining his joint-fifth position in the championship.
Lucas Coenen remained sidelined as he continues recovery from a left hip sciatic issue that has forced him to miss four consecutive rounds. The 19-year-old five-time GP winner this season was not fit enough to compete in Sweden.
In EMX125, KTM’s Ricardo Bauer clinched the 2026 European Championship with a perfect 1-1 performance aboard the KTM 125 SX. The promising Austrian teenager wrapped up the title with one round remaining, holding a 62-point advantage over countryman Moritz Ernecker.
The championship now heads to the sand of Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden in Arnhem for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands next weekend, round 16 of 19.
Photo: KTM Media
