Brazilian rider Enzo Lopes is set to line up in the MXGP World Championship at the upcoming round of the series which is heading to Almonte. After originally being set to line up at the season opener in Argentina, Lopes and his team opted to delay the outing and instead prepare for round two, the MXGP of Andalucia.
The opportunity has come through a collaboration with HRC, allowing Lopes to race with factory equipment similar to what he previously raced with at the Sommieres International event in France.
“I was supposed to race in Argentina, but we have built a really nice relationship with HRC and especially with Marcus (Pereira de Freitas). They thought it was a better idea for me and the team to do round two and use the same equipment I was using at the Sommieres race in France – the same HRC bike. You know, of course the bike that they have there is much more improved and better than the bike we have in Brazil. I mean, still the bike I have here in Brazil is still really, really good. We tested a lot with the team, but it’s hard to compare to an official HRC bike. So that was the decision. It was made by HRC together with my team manager and that was it”, Lopes told GateDrop.com.
The race in Spain will largely serve as valuable track time for Lopes rather than a results-focused outing. The Brazilian rider admitted he is approaching the weekend with a similar mindset to his previous appearance in France, where he also had the chance to compete on HRC machinery.
“Expectations? To be honest, it is the same as the Sommieres race in France. It is just to use it as practice and try to do the best as I can, to be honest. In France, I had a lot of arm pump, so hopefully I don’t get that. Hopefully I get good starts and that’s it. There are no expectations, just try and do my best”.
While the upcoming MXGP appearance is a one-off for now, Lopes did not completely rule out the possibility of returning to MXGP paddock in the future. However, with a busy schedule across multiple championships already lined up, further appearances this season may be difficult to fit in.
“A chance to see me line up in MXGP future rounds? Maybe but after the GP there in Spain, I have a long calendar of Arenacross races, Nationals and World supercross so it will be tough, but I’d love to race the series in the future again.
The track conditions in Spain could also present a unique challenge. Lopes, who grew up racing primarily on harder-packed circuits in Brazil, admits that deep sand tracks are not necessarily his favourite terrain, though he remains open-minded heading into the event. The track is also a bit of an unknown as it’s a new circuit on the MXGP calendar for the 2026 season.
“I think it’s hard to enjoy the deep sand, especially coming from Brazil, we have more hard pack tracks, but, you know, we’ll see. Hopefully, it will suit me well in Spain”, Lopes concluded.
Regardless of the result, the MXGP of Andalucia represents another opportunity for Lopes to gain experience at the highest level of the sport. With support from Honda and valuable seat time on competitive machinery, the Brazilian will be aiming to make the most of the weekend and continue to prepare for the Brazilian Championship.
