With the 2025 world championships decided in Darwin upon the return of the MXGP of Australia, the grand prix series made a massive impact this past weekend in the final round of the season. As all titles – MXGP, MX2 and WMX – went down to the wire and with heavy rainfall on race-day Sunday adding a dramatic late twist, MotoOnline revisits the Top 10 talking points that emerged from Hidden Valley.

Image: Supplied.

1. Wild weather:
While there were plenty of crucial moments, the final round of the 2025 season will be remembered for the deluge of rain that turned the Hidden Valley circuit from a fast, flowing track into a treacherous quagmire in less than half an hour. Racing got underway in overcast conditions, but the skies darkened quickly as the MX2 moto two gate was about to drop. That race started dry, but the heavens soon opened and the heavy rain rapidly filled the ruts and submerged the low points of the circuit. It didn’t take long for the moto to become a battle for survival, and it was ultimately red-flagged. The standing water and rain-soaked conditions then saw the final MXGP race of the year cancelled, with the race officials deeming the track too unsafe to race on.

2. Febvre breaks a decade-long drought:
In what’s now the record for the longest period between championship victories, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre can now finally be credited as a two-time MXGP champion. Having won his first premier class championship in 2015, the Frenchman has endured 10 years of frustrations, injuries and two runner-up results (2021 and 2023) before lifting the premier class world title trophy for a second time. A calculated P4 finish in the only MXGP moto at Darwin was more than enough to capture the number one plate, with the 33-year-old having built an unassailable 39-point buffer over rookie Lucas Coenen. It was the first time that Kawasaki had won the title since Sebastien Tortelli in 1998.

3. Laengenfelder holds on:
After three years of third-place finishes, Germany’s Simon Laengenfelder was crowned MX2 champion in Darwin. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider certainly didn’t have it all his way this year. He didn’t claim an overall round win until the sixth round at the Switzerland GP at Frauenfeld and trailed defending champion Kay de Wolf for almost half of the season. The back half of the championship saw the 21-year-old Laengenfelder find real form, finishing on the podium at seven of the 10 GPs as he racked up a total of six overall victories across 2025. Despite some aggressive racing by de Wolf at Darwin (more on that next), Laengenfelder secured the title by just nine points and became the first German to win a world championship since 2011 when Ken Roczen won.

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4. MX2 fireworks:
De Wolf certainly won’t ever die wondering. Trailing Laengenfelder by 16 markers coming into Darwin, the 2024 champion had nothing to lose and everything to gain at the final round, and he threw everything he had at a last-ditch effort to retain his title. The Dutchman and the series leader clashed twice in the opening MX2 moto, with the second incident resulting in Laengenfelder cart-wheeling and de Wolf cruising away to the win. The German remounted and was still able to finish second and minimise the points’ damage. De Wolf again brake-checked Langenfelder early in the second moto and caused him to crash. After clawing his way back to P6 in the heavy rain, the KTM rider went down again and dropped to 13th. Just when it looked as if Laengenfelder would lose the title in the final moto of the year, de Wolf suffered mechanical issues in the heavy, muddy conditions and he ceded valuable positions before the race was red-flagged. Sacha Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) would take the shortened moto win, with de Wolf P5 and Langenfelder P6. Still, de Wolf somehow landed the overall for the weekend!

5. Herlings rebounds from injuries:
This year was a frustrating one for Jeffrey Herlings. Still recovering from an ACL injury sustained at the 2024 Valkenswaard GP, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing legend was forced to sit out the first three rounds of this year’s series. The Bullet worked his way back into form, capturing consecutive wins at Teutschenthal and Kegums, before breaking his collarbone before Finland. After another two rounds side-lined, Herlings again returned to action, and he finished his season strongly with a string of round wins at his home round at Arnhem, then Turkiye and Shanghai, before a solid P2 in the first – and only – MXGP moto at Darwin. Despite missing five rounds this year, the 31-year-old’s strong finish saw him claim a top-five result in the final standings.

6. Statement ride from Coenen:
There’s no better way to finish the season than with a convincing win, and Lucas Coenen’s Darwin performance gave the rest of the MXGP field plenty of stew on over the off-season. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider felt right at home on the sweeping circuit, finishing Saturday’s qualifying race 21 seconds ahead of Febvre, then charging to a wire-to-wire victory in the sole MXGP moto. It tied a nice bow on what had already been an impressive rookie season in the premier class – Coenen completed the championship in the runner-up spot, with 14 round podiums and six GP wins to his name. The 18-year-old Belgian and his twin brother, Sacha, are now expected to race the first portion of Monster Energy Supercross 2026 before returning to Europe for another MXGP assault.

Image: Supplied.

7. Coldenhoff puts Fantic on the podium:
Since its MXGP debut in 2022, the Fantic Factory Racing team has steadily improved and this year saw the Italian-based manufacturer claim third overall in the premier class, courtesy of a steady season by Glenn Coldenhoff. Over the course of the year, the 34-year-old Dutchman landed six podiums, 12 top-five round finishes and broke through for Fantic’s first-ever race win at Matterley Basin. Coldenhoff had already secured the 2025 bronze medal at the penultimate GP of Shanghai, making the Australian final a relatively pressure-free event on his way to P8.

8. The return of the Australian GP:
It’d been more than two decades since the Motocross World Championship returned to Australia, with the series last heading down under in 2001. Instead of revisiting the Broadford circuit that hosted the 2000 and 2001 GPs, 2025 saw the creation of an all-new, purpose-built circuit at the Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex in the Northern Territory. Construction of the 1.6km track began in February this year, with more than 46,000 tonnes of dirt moved around to create a fast, flowing layout designed to encourage tight, entertaining racing. Following the conclusion of the weekend, organisers confirmed the MXGP will return to Hidden Valley in 2026 on 18-20 September, likely to again be the final round of the series.

9. Wildcard performances:
A host of Australian racers secured wildcard entries for the final two rounds of the season, but upcoming commitments saw many of the country’s top domestic riders pass up the opportunity in favour of preparing for the upcoming Motocross of Nations (Kyle Webster) and AUSX Supercross Championship. Zac Watson, Levi Rogers, and Byron Dennis contested the last two rounds, while former MXGP regular Todd Waters, as well as Jacob Sweet, Cody O’Loan, Cooper Holroyd, Connor Adams and Hugh McKay were all in MXGP, plus Deacon Paice and Kiwi Seth Morrow (both MX2) fronted for the Darwin finale. Dennis led the Aussie charge at Hidden Valley, with a P12 result in MX2 moto one and 14th overall, while Waters was the best of the locals in MXGP, finishing P18. To be fair, if it wasn’t for the Australian additions, both fields would’ve been extremely light on – MX2 would have only had 14 riders on the gate and MXGP just 20.

10. Lotte goes back-to-back:
Proving her 2024 title wasn’t beginner’s luck, young Dutch star Lotte van Drunen successfully defended her crown in the Darwin heat. Carrying a 16-point lead over the always-imposing Kiara Fontanesi (MX Fonta Racing) into the series’ sixth and final round, the 18-year-old’s only goal was to take the title. Van Drunen (De Baets MX-Yamaha Team) rode mistake-free and didn’t really set the world alight, but the 3-4 scorecard for fourth overall was enough to comfortably get the job done by seven points and again sets her up as a favourite for 2026. At the top of the Australians was Honda’s Charli Cannon in P4 overall – including third in moto two – followed by Madi Simpson in P7, Madison Healey ninth, and Taylor Thompson also inside the top 10. Over half the WMX field were Aussies this past weekend!