Young British talent Billy Askew is preparing for a busy stretch of racing as he continues to build experience across multiple championships during the 2026 season. After contesting the British Championship this weekend, the talented youngster will head to France to make his MX2 World Championship debut at the old-school hard-pack circuit of Lacapelle Marival.
The opportunity comes as part of Askew’s ongoing development programme and should provide valuable experience as he continues adapting to the demands of World Championship level competition.
“We’re going to France because Ben (Watson) is going to race MXGP there so we just thought we’d go to get some more races under our belt and go try out the MX2 World Championship. We’re excited and I think it’s a good opportunity for me to go do the GP”, Askew told GateDrop.com.
Despite stepping onto the MX2 World Championship stage for the first time, Askew is keeping his expectations grounded and simply wants to gain experience while putting together two strong motos.
“To be honest, I have no expectations for myself. Whatever happens, I’ll be happy either way. If we go score points, that’s good. If we go out and put two solid rides together and just score points, that’s really good but anything can happen. If I get a good start, we can also run up front. I’ve got no goals, but I know what I can do”.
The British rider also confirmed that this won’t be a one-off GP appearance. Whenever his schedule allows around the EMX250 Championship, he plans to line up in the MX2 World Championship under the Dirt Store Triumph awning alongside Ben Watson.
“I’ll be doing all the MX2 World Championship rounds that Ben’s doing in Europe that don’t clash with EMX250. So, every round that Ben’s doing and if there’s no EMX250 I’ll be racing the MX2 World Championship”.
Having an experienced rider like Watson within the team environment is already proving invaluable for Askew as he continues to progress both on and off the track.
“It’s great having Ben as a teammate. Being at the races with me, it’s just helping me out massively. I can learn from how he goes about his day and he helps me and advises me throughout the day. So, it’s just a massive help having Ben on the team”.
While results in the British Championship haven’t quite come together perfectly yet, Askew feels things are beginning to move in the right direction as more race time is accumulated.
“We didn’t have so good of a star in the British Championship but we’re getting the races together now. We’re getting a few solid rides – we’re getting there”, Askew concluded.
With more races planned and valuable experience ahead in both EMX250 and MX2 competition, the season looks set to be an important one in Askew’s development. Lacapelle Marival will offer a tough test on a classic French circuit, but it also presents a big opportunity for the talented Brit to measure himself against the best MX2 riders in the world.
