Coming into the 2026 season, Simon Längenfelder would have hoped he wouldn’t have to make a decision about his future. If the German secures a second consecutive MX2 World Championship, the FIM rules would have forced him to step up to the MXGP class for 2027.
However, with five rounds remaining in the current campaign, Längenfelder sits fourth in the MX2 standings, 70 points behind championship leader Guillem Farres. While he remains mathematically in the title fight, overturning that deficit will be a huge challenge. If he falls short of the title, the German will still be eligible to race in MX2 next season as he does not age out of the category until the end of the 2027 season.
Speaking during the post-race press conference at the Lommel GP, Längenfelder admitted that no decision has been made regarding his plans for next year. The one thing that is sure is that he will still be part of the KTM rider line up after extending his contract before the start of the 2026 season.
“I have no plan for next year yet”, Längenfelder stated when asked about his future in the post-race press conference at Lommel.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team manager Joel Smets later provided us further insight into the situation, revealing that the decision will ultimately rest with the rider himself.
“Both options are still open and that’s fully up to him. We really leave that choice up to the riders. It was the same with Andrea. If he would have loved to have stayed in MX2, he could have stayed but he decided to move up. In Simon’s case, it’s the same. It’s up to him to decide”.
Smets also addressed the team’s plans for 2027, confirming that the current expectation is to continue with two riders under the Red Bull KTM awning. Andrea Adamo is already committed, while Längenfelder’s decision could determine whether the squad continues to field an MX2 programme or focuses entirely on MXGP.
“That’s also not decided yet. Because, of course, that all comes with budget matters. Of course, it’s not a matter of if you want it or not. We went from eight to six riders, let’s say, within the group, with the three teams, and having two riders each from last year to this year. Nothing is fully decided for next year but theoretically, it should be two, two and two again across the teams. But never say never, it’s a bit too early to talk about that”.
With several months still remaining before the 2027 rider line-ups are confirmed, Längenfelder has time on his side. Whether he chooses to chase another MX2 world title or make the long-awaited step into MXGP remains one of the key decisions to watch over the coming months.
