Vlaanderen misses Dutch MXGP top ten by one point as Bonacorsi retires
Calvin Vlaanderen finished 11th at his home Dutch Grand Prix, one point outside the top ten, while teammate Andrea Bonacorsi stopped with a technical issue in race two.
- 100 km
- 4
- 19
- 1 point
What Happened
The Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team had a demanding home race at the final European round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship, held at Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden in Arnhem, about 100 km from the team's base in Bergeijk. The venue has hosted the Dutch Grand Prix for four years in a row, but this year both riders and the Desmo450 MX machines delivered a result below expectations.
- Bonacorsi 13th after 19 laps; Vlaanderen 16th
- Bonacorsi stopped with a technical issue; Vlaanderen 11th
In the first heat, Bonacorsi was caught without fault in a start crash with teammate Vlaanderen and restarted at the back of the group. He climbed to 12th and finished 13th after 19 laps, while Vlaanderen crossed the line 16th without finding a good feeling with the track. The second heat began better, with Bonacorsi battling for ninth and Vlaanderen 12th after the opening lap, but a technical issue forced Bonacorsi to stop with four laps to go. Vlaanderen finished 11th, missing the top ten at his home Grand Prix by just one point.
- Turkey — first of the final three consecutive races, after a week's break
- China — visited before the season finale
- Australia — the 2026 MXGP championship concludes here
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
At the previous MXGP qualifying in Uddevalla, Sweden, Andrea Bonacorsi finished ninth to earn two championship points, while teammate Calvin Vlaanderen crashed to 15th. At the Dutch Grand Prix, neither Ducati rider finished inside the top ten.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The Dutch Grand Prix is the final European round of the 2026 MXGP season and effectively Ducati's home race, with the circuit about 100 km from the team's base in Bergeijk. A result below expectations matters because the championship now moves to Turkey, China, and Australia for its last three rounds, where the season will be concluded.
Terms in This Story
- MXGP
- The premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, also used as the name of the series' Grand Prix events.
- heat
- In motocross, one of the day's separate races; a Grand Prix typically consists of two heats whose results are combined for the overall classification.
- FIM
- Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the international governing body of motorcycle sport.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.