Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has claimed a Grand Prix race win on his way to a season-best second overall at the MXGP of Trentino. The Yamaha YZ450FM rider placed fourth in Race One before charging to a stunning victory in Race Two. Maxime Renaux also performed well in Italy, finishing fifth in both races to secure fifth overall.
The fifth round of the 2026 FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship took place at a special venue for the two team-mates. For Gajser, it is something of a home race, with a large contingent of Slovenian fans always travelling to the Pietramurata circuit to support the five-time world champion. For Renaux, the hardpack track holds happy memories as it is where he claimed his MX2 World Championship title in 2021.
Spurred on by his loyal supporters throughout round five, and running a special Valentino Rossi tribute livery on his machine with matching Alpinestars race gear, Gajser was focused on bouncing back from his heavy crash in Sardegna last weekend.
In Race One, an excellent start set him up for a strong result and he ran second for most of the race. In the closing stages, he slipped to fourth, but nevertheless the solid ride set him up nicely for a place on the overall podium.
Gajser started up front again in Race Two and moved from fourth to third on the opening lap. A few laps later, he made the pass stick on Kay de Wolf to move into second before giving chase to Lucas Coenen, who led the way. Gajser then shadowed Coenen closely until his younger rival made a mistake, allowing the Yamaha rider to take control of the race. From there, the 29-year-old was faultless as he charged to his first MXGP race victory on Yamaha machinery and claimed second overall on the day. Following an epic day of racing, Gajser now advances to fourth in the series standings.
Renaux was also on good form in Italy. After starting just inside the top 10 in Race One, he fought hard throughout the race to finish fifth. An improved start in the second race set him up for another strong result and he moved into fifth before the halfway stage. With the laps winding down, the Frenchman kept pushing and reeled in Kay de Wolf in fourth and Lucas Coenen in third. Ultimately, Renaux ended the race in fifth, but was only three seconds behind Coenen at the finish.
With another successful Grand Prix complete, the team will now head into the spring break with momentum on its side. Racing resumes with the MXGP of France on May 23-24.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Trentino.
Tim Gajser
2nd MXGP of Trentino, 43-points
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 198-points
“I’m almost speechless and I’m super happy with this result. Coming into the weekend I knew it was going to be a difficult one because I was still in a lot of pain after the crash last week in Riola, but I gave everything I had. The fans really helped push me on, especially in the second moto, so a huge thank you to everyone who travelled here and supported me. I also want to thank the whole team and everyone around me, from the physios to the staff, because we worked so hard during the week to get me ready to race. It makes this result even more special. Now we have a break, which gives me time to recover properly, and then we’ll be ready to go again in four weeks.”
Maxime Renaux
5th MXGP of Trentino, 32-points
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 178-points
“Today was OK. I didn’t get the starts I needed, though. The first one was poor, and in the second race I got boxed in at the first corner, which made things difficult from the beginning. The track was tough, but I felt like my pace was good, just not quite enough for where we want to be. It’s a little disappointing to come so close to the podium again, but there are still positives to take from the weekend. Now we have a short break, so we’ll reset, then go back to work, and aim to come back stronger for the second half of the season.”
Photocredits – Full Spectrum Media
