After several seasons competing in the MX2 World Championship, David Braceras has decided to turn the page. The Spanish rider has announced his retirement from professional Motocross, with the desire to dedicate himself to a new project in Rally. The decision comes at the end of a particularly difficult 2026 season, which was marked by another disappointment in the rider market.
Things could have turned out very differently. In 2025, David Braceras made an impressive start to the MX2 World Championship in Argentina, securing fourth place in the opening race aboard his JM Racing Honda 250 CR-F. It was a result that confirmed the potential he had shown in previous seasons and raised expectations for what was to come. However, his season was quickly disrupted by injuries. A tibial plateau fracture and a knee sprain, followed by a pelvic fracture at Lommel, ultimately brought his campaign to a premature end.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Spanish rider found himself on the rider market. With Jacky Martens’ programme shifting its focus to the MXGP category following the takeover of the Fantic project, Braceras needed to find a new team to continue his MX2 career. He thought he had found the solution with Riley Racing, who offered him a ride for the 2026 season – his final year of MX2 eligibility. However, once again, the project would never get off the ground, leaving another rider without a seat in the World Championship. The situation is reminiscent of what happened to Tom Guyon and Kay Karssemakers, who had also been let down by Riley a year earlier.
With just a few weeks remaining before the start of the championship, his options had become extremely limited. Triumph Spain eventually offered him support to contest the Spanish MX2 Championship. This provided an opportunity to remain active and continue training, ensuring he would be ready to seize any opportunity that might arise in a Grand Prix. Unfortunately, that opportunity never came.
This latest disappointment now appears to have marked the end of his journey at the highest level of Motocross. In his farewell message, David Braceras spoke of a decision made with great peace of mind and gratitude towards Motocross, his family, teams, partners and everyone who has supported him since the beginning of his career.
However, the Spanish rider isn’t giving up on his dreams just yet. While he is closing the chapter on his professional Motocross career, he has already announced his intention to dedicate himself to Rally racing.
David Braceras finished runner-up in the 65cc European Championship in 2013 before repeating the achievement in the 125cc European Championship in 2020. He then went on to secure race podiums in the EMX250 European Championship. He would subsequently record a handful of top-ten finishes in the MX2 World Championship, competing with several different teams: F&H Kawasaki (2022), Maddii Fantic (2023) and JM Racing Honda (2024 and 2025).
David Braceras:
“Today, I am turning the page on my career as a professional Motocross rider, but I am doing so with a huge smile and feeling very happy about what lies ahead. Thanks to Motocross and everything it has taught me, I am now able to take another step towards achieving another one of those big dreams I have always wanted to fulfil.
The last few years have been filled with challenges, lessons and moments that I will always carry with me. I leave feeling proud of everything I have experienced, every step I have taken and the fact that I always gave everything to pursue the dreams I had cherished since childhood.
A huge thank you to my family, sponsors, teams, trainers, mechanics and everyone who believed in me and supported me from day one. This sport has also given me the opportunity to meet some extraordinary people. I will carry many memories with me, along with the friendships and connections that will always be part of my story.
One chapter comes to an end, but my next dream begins. And this is only the beginning!”
