Triumph takes MX world title #1
By Team TMX on 21st Sep 26
Three years after entering motocross, Triumph has done the unthinkable – Guillem Farres is the 2026 FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion.
The Spaniard sealed the title in Darwin, Australia, riding the Triumph TF 250-X to the manufacturer’s first-ever World Championship crown. And just to make the achievement even sweeter, teammate Camden McLellan finished the season runner-up, giving Triumph a championship 1-2 and the FIM MX2 Manufacturers’ World Championship title.
Not bad for a company that only launched the TF 250-X and entered motocross in 2024.
Farres and McLellan won 11 of the 19 Grands Prix between them, along with 21 individual motos and 26 overall podium finishes. There were eight double podiums and four 1-2 finishes along the way.
It also makes Triumph the first British manufacturer to win a World Motocross Championship since 1965.
“Winning Triumph's first FIM World Championship title just three years after entering motocross is a proud and historic moment for everyone involved in the project,” said Triumph CEO Nick Bloor.
“We promised to be 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact and, while we were confident that we would create a great product and achieve good results on the racetrack, this year has been really outstanding.”
Triumph’s progress has been pretty rapid.
Mikkel Haarup delivered the company’s first MX2 podium at its World Championship debut in 2024, while McLellan scored Triumph’s first moto win the following year.
Then came 2026.
McLellan took Triumph’s first Grand Prix overall victory – and its first red plate – in Spain at round two, before Farres claimed his maiden GP win in France at round six. That French victory also produced Triumph’s first 1-2 finish.
Farres took control of the championship after winning Triumph’s home Grand Prix at Foxhills in July and never relinquished the lead.
The 23-year-old went on to win 14 motos and six Grands Prix, including four consecutive overall victories during the summer, and finished the season 36 points clear of McLellan.
“It’s been an unbelievable weekend here in Australia and it’s been a super good season,” said Farres. “We wrapped up the championship in the first race, with Camden taking the win and me finishing second, which was an amazing feeling. Overall, it’s been an incredible season and definitely one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
For Farres, the title also represents something of a comeback.
“It feels good to do this. Obviously I had a tough time in America so this is in some way redemption for that,” he said. “A lot of things go through your mind when you have a hard time, even stepping away from the sport, but we kept going.
“After I decided to come back to Europe, Vince and Thierry were the first ones to welcome me and they always believed in me. The progress we have made with Triumph has been incredible.”
McLellan led the championship early in the campaign after his Spanish victory and remained a constant threat throughout the season.
The 22-year-old South African won five GPs in total and finished on the overall podium eight times, including back-to-back victories at the final two rounds in China and Australia.
A 1-2 in the final standings may not have been the exact result he was chasing, but it capped a career-best MX2 season.
“It’s been a good season,” said McLellan. “Right from the beginning we were exactly where we needed to be.
“Unfortunately, a few rounds in I had a little injury, but after the break we came back strong and I was able to get podium after podium, demonstrating a lot of speed and consistency, which I’m super proud of.
“I unfortunately fell a little bit short of the World Championship, but Guillem was the better rider this year, so huge congratulations to him.”
And McLellan knows the significance of what Triumph has achieved.
“To get one and two for Triumph in the championship and to win the manufacturers championship shows the amount of work that everyone has put in,” he said. “It’s been an incredible year for Triumph.”
The riders’ championship and manufacturers’ crown were joined by the FIM MX2 Teams’ title, completing an extraordinary third season for Triumph Factory Racing.
Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer, said the project had always been about building a championship-winning motorcycle.
“We entered motocross with a clear ambition to build championship-winning motorcycles and establish ourselves at the front of the sport,” he said.
“Combining Triumph's engineering expertise with the racing knowledge of Vince, Thierry, and Clément has enabled us to develop the Triumph TF 250-X into a world championship-winning machine in only its third season.”
Ian Kimber, Triumph’s Head of Global Racing Programmes, was understandably keen to acknowledge the people behind the scenes.
“The last few years have seen blood, sweat and tears from so many people pouring so much into this both professionally and personally, and to see it paying off is just incredible,” he said. “Guillem and the Triumph TF 250-X are FIM MX2 Motocross World Champions after a season of world-class performances on a bike that has only been in production and competing for three years.”
And with McLellan alongside Farres in second, Triumph’s first World Championship campaign is about as emphatic as it gets.
“I also want to thank each and every person involved in this project,” added Kimber. “This is a historic day that dreams are made of!”
The Triumph Factory Racing team will now return to Europe for a celebration at the company’s Hinckley headquarters before attention turns to the FIM Motocross of Nations, where Farres will represent Spain and McLellan South Africa.
