MXGP of China: Sweet n' Sour for Red Bull KTM
By Team TMX on 16th Sep 25
After a Saturday evening deluge of biblical proportions, the sun blazed down on Sunday at the Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit, turning the Oriental Beauty Valley MXGP of China into a test of stamina as much as speed. With the mercury rising and the air heavy with humidity, the penultimate round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship became a brutal battle for survival - and a decisive turning point in both title fights.
In the MXGP class, it was all about Jeffrey Herlings. The Red Bull KTM star reminded the paddock why they call him The Bullet, delivering back-to-back victories that left rivals gasping in the Shanghai heat. Strong starts were the key, but it was his relentless pace in the closing stages that made the difference. Each time, Tim Gajser threw everything at him, but Herlings had just enough to slam the door shut and secure his 112th career GP win.
Gajser’s ride to second overall was more than a return to form – it was a statement. The Slovenian, recovering from a shoulder injury earlier this season, pushed Herlings to the chequered flag in race two, a duel that drew smiles and handshakes between the rivals on the podium. Completing a Honda HRC double was Ruben Fernandez, who fought his way onto the box with a gritty third in the second moto, marking his third podium of the season.
Meanwhile, Romain Febvre kept his cool to extend his advantage over Lucas Coenen in the championship scrap for silver. Coenen, battered by a crash and the sheer intensity of the conditions, could only manage ninth in race one and 14th in race two. Febvre now holds a commanding 47-point cushion heading into the final round in Australia.
For Herlings, the Shanghai sweep also bumped him past Calvin Vlaanderen into fifth in the standings, and he now sits just 17 points shy of Fernandez for fourth. Not bad for a rider who has missed five GPs this season and spent a fair few riding himself back to fitness.
KTM’s domination continued in MX2. Sacha Coenen broke the stranglehold of the title contenders to claim his second GP victory of the season - and his fourth career win - with a storming performance. His aggressive starts and raw pace set the tone, while even a last-lap crash in race one couldn’t derail his charge.
Backing him up was teammate Andrea Adamo, who delivered his first race win since Sweden and snatched second overall with a decisive late pass in moto two. It was a bittersweet triumph for the Italian - eliminated from title contention but proving he still has race-winning speed.
Championship leader Simon Laengenfelder rounded out the all-orange podium in third, extending his advantage over Kay de Wolf to 16 points. The German looked sharp all weekend, grabbing a holeshot in race two and holding firm under pressure, even if a late shuffle dropped him behind Adamo. After suffering in the South American heat earlier this season, Laengenfelder’s resilience in Shanghai could prove decisive as he edges closer to his first World Championship crown.
Shanghai was brutal, brilliant, and utterly unpredictable. Riders wrestled with the heat, the ruts, and each other in one of the most demanding rounds of the year, but the big story was consolidation. Herlings showed he’s still got the hunger, and both red plate holders – Febvre in MXGP and Laengenfelder in MX2 – tightened their grip on gold.
That sets the stage for a blockbuster finale – the MXGP of Australia Presented by Sitzler, at the all-new Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex in Darwin.
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