Ben Watson entered the 2025 MXGP World Championship off the back of a tough 2024 season that saw him sidelined with injury. However, the British rider has bounced back impressively in his third consecutive year with Beta – a partnership that continues to grow stronger.
Now nine rounds into the campaign, Watson sits a solid 13th in the championship standings. Given the depth and competitiveness of the premier class, it’s a commendable effort from the 27-year-old, who remains one of the few British riders competing at the very top of the sport.
Before the season got underway, it was confirmed that Watson would remain with Beta for 2025 but it was actually a two-year extension with the Italian manufacturer which means he has a deal for next year as well.
“I’m on a deal for next year as well”, Watson told GateDrop.com.
Watson’s determination and quiet consistency have flown under the radar for some, but that hasn’t dampened his pride in representing British motocross on the world stage. Speaking candidly, he opened up about his motivations and the realities of racing outside the UK spotlight:
“Yeah, I am. I’ve got my head down just for myself to be honest because I’ve got a great family and a very small group of supportive people who are coming here to the races and helping me out. You see a few fans that are the diehards that have been there when I’ve been at my worst, you know. I feel like because I don’t race in the UK anymore I’m a little bit under the radar for a lot of the British fans and I think sometimes a lot of people underestimate the pace of MXGP. They only see my result of 12th and they’re like it’s not good enough. Especially because at one point I was winning GP’s so a lot of people also expect more from me and although I know I can do better I still feel like I’m doing a good job at the moment, and I’m not done. I still feel like I’ve got something to give.”
Still only 27, Watson feels there’s plenty more to come – and with top-level experience, physical condition, and motivation all aligned, he sees no reason why he can’t continue for many more years.
“I’m 27 so I’ve still got a lot of time. I mean you see Glenn (Coldenhoff) now who is 34 so I definitely feel like physically I’m in better shape than ever right now. I feel like from 2022 I’ve slowly gone up so if I can just keep going in this direction I’ll be happy. Enduro is definitely not on the cards at the moment and that was a strange rumour that went around. Obviously my brother is racing a Beta in world enduro but it was just a strange rumour – that was never on the cards. I signed an extension with the team, so the contract was done anyway and I’ll still be in MXGP for a few more years.”
With the second half of the season still to come, Watson is clearly motivated to keep building momentum. He will proudly continue to carry the British flag on the world stage.
Alongside Watson, we also understand that his German team mate, Tom Koch also inked a two year deal with Beta so they should heading into the 2026 season with the same rider line up.
