Vlaanderen bids farewell to Ducati with sixth overall at MXGP of Australia season finale
Calvin Vlaanderen closed his Ducati chapter with two sixth-place motos and sixth overall at the 2026 MXGP finale in Darwin, Australia.
- 1,540 meters
- 19th and final
- 11th overall
- 14th
What Happened
Overlooking the Timor Sea in Australia's far north, the city of Darwin hosted the nineteenth and final round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship. The track measures 1,540 meters and has a mixed sand and clay surface. It sits within the Darwin Motor Sport Complex and winds through the hills of Hidden Valley.
Fresh off a seventh-place finish in Saturday's qualifying race, Calvin Vlaanderen lined up for the first moto determined to fight for a strong result. He ran close to eighth place after the opening corner, battled for fifth throughout the race and crossed the line in sixth. He got a better start in the second race, fought with the leaders aboard his Desmo450 MX and passed sixth at the end of the first lap, holding that position to the finish and securing sixth place overall for the day.
11th overall
His campaign was interrupted by an injury that forced him to miss two races.
- Two fourth-place overall finishes, in South Africa and China
- Numerous top-ten results
- Missed two races due to injury
- Ducati Corse Off-Road and the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team thanked him for his commitment, calling him a serious and reliable professional
“The final race is in the books; it was a pretty good day. I'm not entirely satisfied with my riding—I think it could have been better—but I'm happy to head home with two sixth-place finishes. I want to thank everyone involved in this project; it's been a season of ups and downs, but we kept fighting and never gave up, and that's something we can be proud of. I wish everyone the best for the future.”
Darwin was also the final round of the season for the MX2 class and marked Ferruccio Zanchi's second Grand Prix since returning to racing. The Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider finished both motos in the top ten, taking 10th place overall in Australia aboard the Desmo250 MX. That result moved the Italian rider up one spot in the championship standings to finish 14th, despite competing in only 11 of the 19 scheduled rounds after injuries sustained early in the season and in Great Britain.
“The last Grand Prix of the year is done; I can't say I'm fully satisfied with my speed, but it's only my second race back. We used the final two rounds as good preparation for the Motocross of Nations, which takes place in two weeks. I'm really looking forward to Ernée, where I'll be representing Italy for the first time.”
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Vlaanderen had already shown pace at Darwin's Hidden Valley complex the day before, ending the last MXGP qualifying race of 2026 in seventh, while Ducati's Ferruccio Zanchi came home tenth in MX2 qualifying.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The Darwin round was the last of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship and the final race of Vlaanderen's time with the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team, so his sixth-place day and 11th-place championship finish close out that project. Ducati also got a positive MX2 signal from Ferruccio Zanchi, who finished both motos in the top ten despite an injury-hit season. Both riders now turn to the Motocross of Nations.
Terms in This Story
- moto
- One of the two races that make up a motocross Grand Prix; results from both count toward the overall classification.
- MXGP
- The premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
- MX2
- The second class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, run at the same events as MXGP.
- Motocross of Nations
- An international motocross team event in which riders represent their countries rather than their race teams.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.