Julius Mikula completed the 17th round of the MX2 World Championship with a strong result. The Osička MX Team rider finished fifth and eighth in the two races at the MXGP of Türkiye, securing seventh overall. His 29-point haul also moved him up to ninth in the championship standings.
Mikula moves up in the championship after qualifying and takes P5 in Race 1
Afyon Motor Sports Center welcomed the riders with summer conditions, while the hard and slippery track surface offered very little in terms of ruts. Mikula lined up for the MXGP of Türkiye just two weeks after the Dutch round, where he suffered a hand injury that ultimately forced him to miss the second race.
His P9 in Saturday’s qualifying race was an early indication that Mikula would once again be a top-ten contender in Türkiye. In Sunday’s opening race, he made a strong start and quickly settled into fifth position. He remained inside the top five throughout the first half of the race, with fourth-placed Camden McLellan holding a lead of around ten seconds, while sixth-placed Janis Reisulis was a similar distance behind.
As the race entered its final third, Mikula gradually lost touch with McLellan, while Reisulis began to close the gap from behind. The Latvian rider caught Mikula with two laps remaining and put the Czech rider under pressure in the closing stages. Mikula responded by increasing his pace once again, while a small mistake from Reisulis also worked in his favour. Mikula held on to fifth place, crossing the finish line just 0.5 seconds ahead of his rival.
The result marked Mikula’s second career P5 and his second fifth-place finish of the 2026 season, following his P5 in one of the races at the MXGP of Sardinia in April.
Mikula secures seventh overall
Mikula did not make the best start to Race 2 and completed the opening lap around the edge of the top ten. After Sacha Coenen retired and Mikula subsequently passed Noel Zanocz, he moved up to eighth position.
Mikula spent the remainder of the race trying to close an approximately two-second gap to seventh-placed Karlis Reisulis. The Latvian rider defended his position, however, leaving Mikula to take the chequered flag in eighth.
His P5 and P8 race results, combined with the points scored in qualifying, gave Mikula a total of 29 points for the weekend. Kay Karssemakers and Maxime Grau also finished on 29 points, with the final classification therefore decided by the results of the individual races. Mikula’s consistent performance was enough to secure seventh overall at the MXGP of Türkiye.
The Championship Continues in Shanghai
“We are pleased with the result in Türkiye. Julius entered the race following the hand injury he suffered in the Netherlands, so fifth place in Race 1 is a great result. He then managed to hold on to eighth place in Race 2, meaning we leave Türkiye with 29 important points and seventh overall. At the same time, he moved up to ninth in the championship, which is another important step for us.
Now we face a really demanding three weeks – not only with the races in China and Australia themselves, but also with the preparations and long flights between the different destinations. There will be very little time to rest, so managing the entire schedule, both physically and logistically demanding, will be crucial,” added Osička MX Team owner Martin Osička following the Turkish round.
The seventeenth round of the season therefore delivered another strong result for Osička MX Team during Mikula’s first full season with the Czech squad. The team now faces a quick return home before immediately setting off on the next journey. The FIM Motocross World Championship continues with its penultimate round of the season in Shanghai.
Photocredit: Daniele Barreca
