Jeffrey Herlings has claimed the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP title, securing the premier-class crown at Round 17, the Türkiye GP. The event took place on September 5–6, 2026, and Herlings clinched the championship with a Race 1 victory, two rounds before the season’s conclusion. The announcement was dated September 7, 2026, from Tokyo, Japan.

Riding for Honda HRC PETRONAS, Herlings arrived in Türkiye with a substantial advantage. He had opened the season by winning the Argentina GP, and by the end of Round 16—the Netherlands GP—he had collected 10 victories, including a run of five consecutive wins. His lead over the second-ranked rider stood at 143 points, putting the title within reach before the championship reached Türkiye.

A decisive Türkiye GP

Herlings won the qualifying race and took the holeshot in Race 1, according to the event report. He went on to win that race, creating the points advantage required to secure the MXGP championship with two rounds still remaining. He also won Race 2 and took the overall Türkiye GP victory.

The result gave Honda HRC PETRONAS a championship in Herlings’ first season with the team. Herlings had joined on January 1, entering a new environment involving a new bike, team and gear. He acknowledged that the transition was not always easy, while crediting the team’s work for producing results on the track. He also thanked his team, friends and family for supporting him through difficult periods.

A new team, machine and structure

Team Manager Marcus Pereira de Freitas described the title as the product of an exceptional effort by Herlings and the entire organisation. He called 2026 one of the team’s hardest years and said Herlings’ performances, particularly in the weeks before the title, showed the value of sustained work. Pereira de Freitas pointed to the rider’s major talent and determination, adding that winning in a first season with the team and on Honda machinery demonstrated both Herlings’ capability and that of the motorcycle. He thanked Herlings, the race-event team and personnel in Japan.

Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe likewise credited both Herlings’ sustained effort and the collective work of the team under its new structure. Watanabe said Herlings won from the opening round despite the new machine and team, and highlighted his victories in varied track conditions during the second half of the season. Those results, he said, drove strong progress toward the championship and inspired Honda personnel. His thanks extended to Team Manager Marcus, staff, riders, sponsors, everyone involved with Honda HRC PETRONAS and motocross fans worldwide.

The CRF450RW behind the achievement

Herlings won the title aboard Honda’s factory CRF450RW. The listed technical overview describes a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, OHC single-cylinder engine with 449.7 cm³ displacement, an aluminum twin-tube frame, and a 21-inch front tire paired with a 19-inch rear tire.

Herlings is listed as being born on September 12, 1994, and aged 31, with the Netherlands given as his birthplace. The championship count requires clarification before publication: the release’s body describes the achievement as his third MXGP World Championship, while Herlings’ quoted remarks call it his sixth world title. Those descriptions should not be treated as interchangeable without further verification.