Rick Elzinga is gearing up for the next big step in his career: the MXGP class in 2026. After a standout 2024 season filled with moto and GP podiums, and multiple top-five finishes, Elzinga faced a much tougher 2025 campaign. Injuries, setbacks, and technical struggles tested him both physically and mentally, but the Dutch talent has always approached challenges with resilience and determination. From almost quitting racing to winning the EMX250 title with Hutten Metaal, and carving out three years at Factory Yamaha, his journey is a testament to perseverance and self-belief.
Now, with a fresh start at MRT Beta and a switch to the 450cc MXGP class, Elzinga is preparing for a new chapter – one that brings new bikes, new teams, and new challenges. Kevin Frelaud caught up with Elzinga as he reflects on the highs and lows of his MX2 career, the lessons learned from injuries and setbacks, and his mindset as he embarks on his MXGP debut, all while offering insight into the testing, training, and team dynamics behind the scenes.
Rick, off you go to the MXGP class in 2026! You had a great 2024 season with motos and GP podiums, multiple top 5 finishes – a really strong year overall. 2025 was tougher, with injuries and setbacks mixed in between some great rides. It can’t always go smoothly, and we’ve seen that time and time again. How would you assess your last MX2 season? Mixed emotions, I guess?
Elzinga: Mixed emotions about 2025, it was definitely not my year. We can be clear about that because I don’t come to the GP’s trying to get into top 10 because I feel like I should be fighting for top 5, or around that top 5 at least. That wasn’t the case this season much, so definitely not happy.
There were some changes within Yamaha which made it harder for me. You know, everybody tried their best and this was the outcome. I think it was the maximum I could do with what I got. That is how it is.
I’m definitely not happy about the injuries as well. But it’s just, if you’re so much on the limit, it’s easier for that to happen, to get a crash or get an injury or whatever – I’m pretty prone to it. It’s like if I touch the ground, I have an injury so that’s unlucky on my part.
Being your final year in MX2, did that add extra pressure when you lined up behind the gate? We know how stacked the MXGP field is and how hard it is to secure a good ride in that class. When the season starts and you face your first setback, does that affect you mentally? Things can snowball quickly when you have to rush things.
Elzinga: To me, it doesn’t really add any extra pressure because in the end, it is important to get a contract. It doesn’t matter if it’s for MX2 or MXGP, or even somewhere else. That’s the biggest thing you aim for as a rider. By doing the best results you can is the best way of doing it. I try to focus on getting the best results I can.
Sometimes that’s pretty difficult during the season, especially when you are fighting as hard as you can and then you don’t get the results you want. That’s the most difficult part. But you just need to keep plugging away.
I felt like in the end of the season, I was able to find my flow again but I wasn’t in that flow the whole season because I was just injured or coming back from injury or just struggling with the bike. Coming to the end of the season, I felt like it was going better and better but then the season was over and that was sad. I would have loved to be at my best sooner but with injuries it’s difficult to do that.
Looking back, your story is still one of the craziest to me. You almost quit racing at one point, raced some AMA outdoors on a bike that was lent to you, and eventually landed a ride at Hutten Metaal, winning the EMX250 title and paving your own path at Factory Yamaha for three years. You are the prime example of the “never give up” attitude. You must be proud of where you come from, and also grateful to the Yamaha family for trusting you when it seemed nobody else was willing to take a chance!
Elzinga: Looking back, it doesn’t really feel like I am that guy. But to be honest, it’s quite a crazy story because I am a guy that is pretty true to myself. So if you are doing EMX and you don’t get a contract, even though you get third in the European Championship and there is no contract available in the GPs to earn any money, then I can be true to myself to say, OK, this is not going to happen anymore and then I will have to find somewhere else to find work and money. But that’s how it went.
That was the way it was in 2021 but then that article came out. So, I had the opportunity to ride a couple AMA rounds, which was pretty much a dream come true to ride over there. I would like to do that again. The vibe is really nice over there so I would like to be back again there. Yamaha came in again, which was nice because I had a really good year that year. Basically, everything just fell together and I was really happy to win the EMX250 title.
I think it was one of the most satisfying years I’ve had. I don’t think many people know it, but I had Epstein-Barr virus, so I was just hanging on for dear life until I finished the season to become champion. In the end, I wasn’t myself anymore and I was struggling with the health side. So even in that case, I was still just fighting for it, let’s say. Then going into MX2 in 2023 was just amazing – 2023 and 2024 were building years, but then this year it stopped. But it doesn’t mean it’s a failure. It’s more like steps to success, in my opinion.
That being said, and speaking with Thibault this year, he didn’t hide his struggles with the YZ-F 250 this season, especially regarding the engine. Starts also seemed to be an issue for the Yamaha riders. Did you experience similar problems this year? Can you tell us what was happening behind the scenes in 2025, bike wise, from your perspective?
Elzinga: Obviously, we all were riding below expectation, below what we are capable of. If it was just me, I could say it’s on me, I am the problem. But it seemed to be with all the riders, and I would suggest MX2 were in a worse place than the MXGP Yamaha team even. Everybody was trying their best within the team. There were some changes from 2024 to 2025. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know also. But they changed anyway and I rode with what I got. I couldn’t really change much about it. I did my best with it and that’s it – sometimes the sport is pretty cruel in that sense.
I can’t really speak bad about anyone because everybody was still trying their best within the team. I can write a book of how it went and all the mental struggles and all the sh*t that went on this season. But I will not do that, because I am still thankful for what they have given me during those years.
You actually have a French agent! Can we talk about the discussions that take place with your agent when the negotiations kick off? How involved are you in those talks, and what’s the process when it comes to negotiating – how much input do you have?
Elzinga: With Gérard (Valat) it’s nice. I came into contact with him through Loic Le Foll from the MJC Yamaha team. It’s great, because he knows what I like. We speak a little bit here and there. When everything is good, I don’t need him. But when there is stuff going on, he is always there for me and that is exactly what you need. I try to do the most of it myself, but then when it comes down to contracts in this world, you just need someone to help you, find offers, and have the contacts. So that’s what he does for me. Gérard is a really good help to me and I am happy to have him. He has been doing a good job on that as well. Especially this year, even though I am in the motocross world, the contract stuff is a bit of a different kind of world, let’s say. You need to know the ins and outs and I don’t. So, I am happy to have him on my side.
Looking back, how was it being a factory rider at Yamaha for three years in MX2? This is one of the top teams in the category, and whenever you wear those colours, you’re expected to perform and, I guess, at least fight for podiums. Would you describe that environment as stressful and potentially wearing you down, or more motivating, since everyone is working toward the same goal: reaching the top?
Elzinga: It was just motivating for me. I feel like I never got to truly show what I was capable of, just because of multiple reasons. Like just myself not being in the right state of mind, physical state, issues with the bike, just everything, you know. But anyway, if you want to be a champion, you got to work for it as it doesn’t always fall together. You have to do it so I wasn’t good enough, just to say it like that.
In general, it was not stressful and I was just doing the best I can. Like I said, the best way to make sure they like me is to make results and the results were good enough, I would say. It was a nice journey. I would say 2022 and 2023 were my most fun and best years. My EMX250 year and my first MX2 year with them – from there, it kind of went downhill. This year was just not nice at all but I would say I will just remember the good times. Maybe in the future I can come back to the MXGP team, who knows what the future holds – we’ll see.
You have just been announced at MRT Beta for 2026. Signing with Beta means a lot of changes for you. Not only are you switching classes, but also teams, brands, and everything else. Does that mean your off-season rest will be minimal? We’re about four months away from 2026 and there must be some work to be done —what will your winter look like?
Elzinga: There will be a lot of changes for me but I’m happy about the switch to the 450cc because I’m a big guy and the way I ride, it’s more suited to the 450cc. I felt like in the 250cc my way of riding didn’t come out the best way. I think on the 450cc it will become better and I’m happy about that.
So far it’s been really a nice experience with Beta, we did a suspension test to set up the base. Now we will wait and rest for a bit. Next week I will start my physical training. It is a bit earlier just to stay going because I had already a couple of weeks off so I will start again. At the beginning or half way through November I will start motocross training again and more testing from time to time. But you know, it takes some time to get used to the bike as well. We will test again to get an even better feeling. For me I would say we have enough time to get suited to the bike and I would like to improve myself as well. That’s where the most of my attention will be during the winter I guess. Beta to me it feels like it’s a wide range bike… With that I mean you can set it up for… Right now, I started with Watson’s suspension setup which I can feel it’s really not my type of style of suspension setup but it’s still wide range. It’s pretty easy to ride with it and go fast with it so that’s good about this bike. I think It will be easy to set up for a lot of tracks and easy to just ride and feel free on it.
Let’s talk about that Beta. It’s not just a 450cc; it’s also a completely different frame and chassis from what you’re used to. What were your first impressions – both in terms of the chassis and the engine? You’re going from an aluminum to a steel frame here. What is the feeling?
Elzinga: The first impression was good. Compared to 450cc Yamaha or 450 Beta there is a big difference. The 450cc Yamaha is really strong on the bottom and really aggressive. The Beta is more like a KTM – it puts it more on the ground but it’s more mellow. You can’t really say this bike is faster or that bike is faster because it’s just a different way of putting it on track. It’s hard to compare those two but then with the frame you can feel instantly. The steel frame is pretty good in my opinion, I would say it can be nervous for people but with the feeling I got, I like it. I like to know what the bike is going to do and what it is doing. With the steel frame I feel it’s giving me more feedback. That’s the most thing I feel. I haven’t done much riding on the Beta so far so I’ll just have to ride it more and then try some stuff to see where we go from there. Obviously, the team will have some stuff prepared for me to try it and see what I like best. I can then ask them for things or let’s say work with them to find an even better setup. It will take some time but we have the whole winter to do that, we have time to do everything. The last couple of seasons I was injured in the winter. Every time so no winter training. I will try to stay healthy this off-season and take my time testing.
Looking ahead to 2026 and considering the amount of riding you’ve done on the Beta so far, what do you think will be the next areas of work on the bike to make it suit you even more? You’ve only recently signed and started testing with the team. What ultimately led you to decide, “This is the bike and the team I want to ride for my MXGP debut” in 2026?
Elzinga: Obviously most of the factory teams were already taken. There are less places and more riders coming in so it’s not easy to find a place. I was really happy when Beta Factory reached out and said they were looking for a younger rider for the long term.
I have signed for one year but it’s with the idea of a longer term and I was happy about that. I tried the bike during the season and I was really positively surprised by it so from there we started really discussing it. I have found a good place so I’m happy about the interest and the chance that I’ve got right now.
Will you still be based in the Netherlands in 2026 or will you have to make the move to Italy? You started working with Alessio Chiodi before 2025, will that continue?
Elzinga: I will be in Italy. I did that mostly during last off season as well because I was at Chiodi’s place. During the season I was in the Netherlands obviously with the team. But now with Beta it will basically remain the same because during the season they are in Lommel. They have a place over there as well so that means I will stay at home because it’s like two hours from Lommel so we can make it work like that. I feel best at home so it’s for the best to do it like this.
Obviously now it’s even more convenient to work with Alessio. Last year it was really nice in the winter and then this year being in an Italian team close to him, is it pretty cool. It is a nice coincidence. I’m happy to work with him again, he has a good vibe and a good attitude. It’s good to have him.
Also from the mental side, just to have him around already helps a lot do I’m pretty happy about it He’s a capable guy with a lot of feeling on the bike so I will try to pick up a bit of his feeling as well as his knowledge of setting up a bike and things like that. It will be nice to work with him for another year.
The MXGP class will be mentally challenging next year with so many changes—guys moving up and some even coming back! As a racer, I’m sure you’ve set goals for yourself. What is Rick Elzinga aiming for in 2026?
Elzinga: I will just try to focus on myself, I don’t know what to expect. There will be many new riders I have never ridden against and then racing the 450cc. I expect the race craft, I will have to adjust a bit because the riders are more experienced. I will just see and go with the flow. I think I’m on a good spot at Beta, they don’t put pressure on me.
That’s how I think I can get the best results as well so we will just work on it. We will try to see where it’s going wrong and then go again. We will try to figure it out which is nice. I have a good feeling with it so that’s already a good thing and then we will just go from there.
