After a turbulent couple of seasons that saw his dream opportunity slip away and a long road back from injury, Brazilian rider Enzo Lopes is determined to rebuild momentum in 2026. Once set to line up with Star Racing Yamaha in the US, a complicated arm issue derailed those plans and forced him to rethink his career path. Now working with Honda Brazil and preparing for a busy schedule that includes international appearances and the opening round of the MXGP World Championship in Argentina. Kevin Frelaud catches up with Lopes as opens up about the setbacks, the mental battle behind the scenes, and why he ultimately chose to return closer to home while still chasing big goals on the global stage.
What did you think of the track? Coming from the US, you must not be used to riding on this kind of layout?
Lopes: Actually, it reminded me a bit of Washougal, riding through the trees with the shadows and all that. But here, clearly, it’s much more complicated with the holes and the ruts. They really watered the track a lot. During the superfinal, it was really chaos. I wish people could really see the condition of the track we were racing on! The positive side is that it slowed the speed down. The track was super technical, but it was a great event and there were a lot of spectators. Honestly, it was interesting!
Seeing your name on the entry list was surprising. Question: what are you doing on this side of the Atlantic?
Lopes: So, we came here two weeks ago to do some testing with the HRC staff, since that’s the bike I ride. It’s a project that has been linking Brazil and Europe for a few months now, and we came to work with them. We spent some time in Italy, and then we drove here — a 6 hour and 30 minute trip. We raced in Sommières, and in two weeks I’ll be in Argentina for the opening GP of the 2026 season!
At the end of 2023, you signed with Star Racing Yamaha. You had arm surgery during the off-season, and everything went wrong for you because we never saw you on the official Yamaha. What really happened in 2024?
Lopes: The short version is that I was riding with the guys on the team and everything was going really well. I had pretty much the same pace as the others, it was cool because at the Goat Farm everyone rides really fast. I was training with Haiden Deegan and the others. Then I started having problems with my right arm. I had already had surgery for compartment syndrome, and the issues were coming back. The team had a doctor, and they told me to go see him and get surgery: “Get it fixed now and you’ll be ready for the West Coast.” It was supposed to be a quick operation, there was still a lot of time before the West Coast opener, and I was meant to be back on the bike ten days later. I thought we had plenty of time, so I went ahead with the surgery.
Basically, I had a Botox injection in my right arm. The first two days were fine. The doctor told me that on the third day I should start to feel something… And yeah, I definitely felt something… Except I couldn’t move my index finger or my thumb anymore. I couldn’t move anything. From there, I thought we’d get ready for the East Coast. But when the East Coast came around, I still couldn’t move my fingers. It was a real nightmare.
I had signed with the team of my dreams — I think everyone dreams of riding for Yamaha Star Racing. I had ridden the bike, I had seen what it could do, I knew what I was capable of… and it all slipped through my fingers; it was tough. I went through a really dark period. I thought about quitting riding so many times, about retiring because I didn’t think my hand would return to normal. It took me six to eight months to get back to something like 80% of my physical ability.
Now it’s back to normal, and it feels good. But honestly, I went through some very complicated times.
When you see your dream slipping away like that, I imagine it must be tough mentally. What did it take to get out of that hole and move forward?
Lopes: I’m not really sure. I just focused on the next goal, the next events. Because I only had a deal for Supercross with Star Racing. After that, I did a race in Brazil, then I went to do the World Supercross with Rick Ware Racing. Considering the circumstances, it didn’t go too badly for me.
I kept believing and kept pushing. I feel like I still have what it takes to be one of the best riders, especially in Supercross. Motocross is a bit different because it had been a long time since I had raced MX. I focused on what was next, on what was ahead of me. Luckily I managed to recover… I wouldn’t say I’m at 100%, but probably around 85 or 90% today.
You returned to racing with the BarX Yamaha team in US Supercross last year, and you also competed in WSX with Rick Ware Racing. How do you look back on your 2025 season?
Lopes: It was a bit of a struggle because joining BarX happened at the last minute. I don’t remember exactly, but I think I replaced a rider. It was really last minute. I wasn’t really ready. I wanted to race, but it’s really difficult when you haven’t done an off-season bootcamp and you jump straight into the races. It was tough for me.
The last two rounds of the Supercross championship went well. In Salt Lake City, I finished sixth behind Vialle, Hampshire and Hammaker during the East-West Showdown. It was really great, but the bike broke on the last lap… In World Supercross, honestly I expected a bit more. I wanted to battle with Max Anstie, but I had quite a few issues outside of my control. My shock blew up in South Africa, just to give one example. When everything lined up, I was riding well. I got some podiums and I won a main event. There was some good, but also some not so good.
What do you think about World Supercross in the end? Does the championship meet expectations in your opinion? At the time, they arrived with the ambition of competing with US Supercross.
Lopes: It’s getting better and better, especially in terms of the tracks. They’re becoming more difficult and closer to the level of US Supercross. We could see in Australia that guys like Eli Tomac and Haiden Deegan struggled in the whoops — they were huge.
I think they’re doing a good job, and they also listen to the riders about how to change and improve. It’s cool! I think the championship will grow even more, at least that’s what I hope for them. But it’s difficult because on one side there’s this battle between the FIM and the AMA to capture the most attention. Still, I hope WSX keeps growing because it’s great to be able to race all over the world.
Last year you finished 12th at the Motocross of Nations with Tiburcio and Santos. That’s the best result for Brazil at the event. What was that like?
Lopes: It was cool, but to be honest I was mad at myself after the last moto because I didn’t ride very well. When I crossed the finish line, I was really angry while I saw all the team members jumping with joy. I had a few issues during the race, and I was surprised that we finished 12th. I didn’t even know, actually. It was cool, a nice surprise, and I think we have the potential to go for a top ten and that’s what we’ll try to do next time. We’re progressing — we finished 13th in England, then 12th in the USA. We’re improving, which is good — we’re not going backwards!
You announced your plans for 2026 with Honda Brazil. I find it hard to believe that no team in the US made you a serious offer. Was it your choice to return to Brazil?
Lopes: A few teams in the US contacted me, but it was difficult for me to stay living in the US for that long. To ride well in Supercross, you need a big winter preparation, you really have to spend a lot of time on the bike, training, sacrificing a good part of your personal life, putting a lot of things aside. It’s difficult at my age — I’ll turn 27 in August. If I were 17 or 18 like Cole Davies, it wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m getting older too, and I chose to be closer to my family and to think about my well-being. I miss racing in the US. I’d love to say it’s home, I’d love to have my family there with me and my friends too, because everything would be much easier and I think the results would be even better. You know, when I race in the US I’m far away from everyone — I miss my loved ones, it’s difficult.
So, what exactly is the program for 2026? Brazil, but what else?
Lopes: It’s pretty busy. In two weeks we’ll be at the opening round of the world championship in Argentina. After that, we’ll have a few weeks off because they postponed the opening of the season in Brazil. This year I’ll do the Brazilian championships — Motocross, Arenacross, and probably World Supercross, but we’re still finalising everything. There will also be the Motocross of Nations, and maybe one or two outdoors. I’d like to race US Motocross, but I’m going to be pretty busy! We’ll see.
Do you have any goals for the Argentine Grand Prix?
Lopes: No specific goals, to be honest. We want to see where the bike is at, and where I’m at as well. Obviously, I’d like to ride in the top ten, but I also know there are a lot of very good riders. I think I have the speed and the pace, but I also know the whole race environment is different. I hope to get good starts, and we’ll see. You know, I’m not going there to fight for a championship — the idea is mainly to gain experience. To see how the bike behaves, and so on. There’s no better training than racing, that’s why we’re going to take part in this first GP.
Do you feel like Brazil is gaining momentum with its championships? Glenn Coldenhoff will race there this year, and Jeremy Van Horebeek as well — these are guys who have won GPs! There was also Rubini and Aranda, French riders who are fast.
Lopes: Yes, it’s crazy. It’s really starting to get big, and that’s also one of the reasons why I decided to come back. If it had been in a really bad situation, it would have been hard for me to commit to this kind of program and give up the American dream. Brazil is developing — now there’s Glenn, Jeremy, we also have Fabio who rides very well, Grégory too, especially on the tracks we have over there. The level is getting higher and higher, and it’s going to be intense!
