Simon Längenfelder could be set to remain in the MX2 World Championship for the 2027 season as the German could be set to launch another assault on another MX2 world title.
Back in 2020, Längenfelder made the step up to the MX2 World Championship directly from the EMX125 series after securing a ride with the Diga Procross GasGas Factory Juniors squad. While the more traditional route into MX2 is through the EMX250 Championship, the German opted to make the significant jump from the 125cc class — and it proved to be the right decision.
Längenfelder has now spent seven seasons competing in the MX2 World Championship and achieved a major career goal last year when he was crowned world champion.
A challenging season defending his title
Running the coveted #1 plate during the 2026 campaign, the German made a fantastic start to the season and looked like a strong contender to successfully defend his crown.
However, his form dipped as the season progressed and he ultimately finished fifth in the MX2 World Championship standings after missing the final round of the season due to illness.
Coming into the 2026 season, there was a question mark over what Längenfelder would do for 2027. Had he successfully defended his MX2 title, he would have been forced to move up to the MXGP World Championship.
However, with the German not winning the championship this year, he remains eligible to compete in MX2 for another season under the U23 age rule.
One more shot at the MX2 title?
That potentially gives Längenfelder one final opportunity to challenge for another MX2 World Championship title before making the permanent move to the premier MXGP class.
And, according to our information, Längenfelder could indeed elect to remain in MX2 for 2027.
A further year in the class would give the German another opportunity to fight for the championship on the 250cc machine, with the MX2 field already shaping up to be particularly strong.
Should Längenfelder race MX2 he’d line up alongside the likes of Camden McLellan, Liam Everts, Mathis Valin and Janis Reisulis, among others, creating another highly competitive MX2 World Championship season.
Längenfelder: “Start an attack again”
Reflecting on a difficult 2026 campaign, Längenfelder admitted that it had been a challenging year but is already looking ahead to making another attack:
“Another season comes to an end. A specially tough one for me. After coming out swinging in the first few rounds I just hit a hole I couldn‘t work myself out of. I learned a lot. Ready to take some much needed time off now to get all things sorted out and start an attack again”.
At this stage, Längenfelder remaining in MX2 for 2027 has not been officially confirmed by the rider or KTM, so we will have to wait for confirmation before knowing his plans for certain.
However, if the current information proves correct, the former MX2 World Champion could be set for one more season on the 250cc machine — meaning his MXGP rookie season will have to wait until 2028.
