Malou Jakobsen has been one of the surprise packages of the 2026 WMX World Championship season so far. After two rounds, the young Dane finds herself tied for third in the championship standings, rubbing shoulders with some of the sport’s biggest names and proving that determination can still compete with bigger budgets.
Racing as part of a small father-daughter operation, Jakobsen’s rise has been built on hard work, sacrifice and a relentless belief that she could run with the front-runners. Despite not enjoying the luxury of winter training camps in southern Europe and having to battle through the pack after less-than-ideal starts, she has consistently delivered impressive results to put herself firmly in the championship conversation.
We caught up with Jakobsen as she discusses her breakthrough start to the season, the challenges of competing at World Championship level on a limited budget, her close partnership with her father, and why she believes there is still more to come as the WMX campaign continues.
GateDrop: Malou, we are two rounds into WMX and you are tied for third(!) in the world championship standings. How does that sound (laughs)?
Jakobsen: It sounds pretty unreal, to be honest (laughs). Before the season started, I didn’t expect to be tied for third in the championship after two rounds, but of course it’s something I’ve always hoped and worked for. I’m really happy with how things have gone so far, but it’s still early in the season.
For me, it is still a big achievement. A lot of hard work has gone into getting here, not only from me but especially from my Dad. We’re just a small father-daughter team, and we’ve both made a lot of sacrifices to be able to race at this level. So to be up there fighting near the front and competing with some of the best riders in the world. It makes all the hard work worth it.
GateDrop: Coming into the season, what expectations did you have? Have you surprised yourself?
Jakobsen: Coming into the season, my main goal was to be more consistent and keep improving every round. Fighting for top-five results was definitely something I was aiming for and working towards. So it’s a great feeling knowing I got the speed to be there.
Of course, I’ve surprised myself a little with how strong the start of the season has been, but at the same time I know how much work we’ve put in to get here and get this kind of results. It’s a great feeling, but there’s still a long way to go.
GateDrop: The thing is, your starts haven’t been that great so you’ve actually had to pass a lot of riders to get to the front – it’s not like you are getting holeshots and just hanging on – you must be really happy with your riding?
Jakobsen: Yeah, definitely. Of course, I’d rather get better starts and make life easier for myself (laughs). Last year, I had a good bike that really helped me off the gate, and I was able to get a lot of good starts and put myself in the top five early in the races. But wasn’t quite able to be there to the end every time.
This year, my starts haven’t been as strong, but I’ve been able to work my way through the field and make passes, which gives me a lot of confidence in my riding. My fitness has also been really strong, and I feel like I’m only getting quicker as the race goes on, which has helped me make passes later in the races. It shows that the speed is there, and if I can put myself in a better position off the gate, I think there’s even more potential.
GateDrop: Your first moto’s seem to be really good – the second races not quite as good but perhaps that’s maybe because the track is always over watered for the WMX second race. Do you like the wet conditions or is that an area you might need to improve on?
Jakobsen: Yeah, maybe there’s some truth in that. I’ve never really disliked wet conditions, and normally I actually enjoy riding in them. But when the track gets heavily watered and stays quite flat and smooth, it’s probably not where I perform at my best.
I prefer tracks that get rough, technical, and challenging because I feel like that’s where I can make the biggest difference. Of course, it’s still something I need to keep improving on, but I definitely feel more comfortable when the track gets rougher and more demanding.
GateDrop: Coming into the season, how was your winter preparation? It looks like you made a step over the winter!
Jakobsen: To be honest, I started my winter preparation a bit later compared to previous years. The budget wasn’t really there to go down south like a lot of riders do, so I had to stay in Denmark and make the most of it here.
The winter was long, and I didn’t get on the bike as early as I would have liked because of the weather in Denmark. After almost four months off the bike, my Dad and I decided to go for a week to Belgium/the Netherlands just to get some bike time. So I started my preparation in week 7, on a Friday in Lommel, which wasn’t the easiest conditions to start in, and wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but I was just happy to be able to ride my bike. And I tried to stay patient, keep working, and build up step by step. So in that sense, I’m actually pretty happy with how things have come together so far
GateDrop: Now that you’ve started the season so well, have your expectations changed any?
Jakobsen: I think my mindset has shifted a bit this year. I’m honestly just happy to be able to ride, travel around, and race. It’s a very expensive sport, and you never really know how many seasons you get, so right now I’m just trying to enjoy it and take everything in. Of course I always want to do well, and there is always pressure when you want to race at the highest level—that’s just part of it. But I think I’m handling it better this year and not letting it take away the fun.
I feel like I’m doing everything I can with what I’ve got. There’s honestly nothing more I can do than give 100% every time I go out there. I just want to keep the momentum going, and hopefully in the end it will all pay off. I’m focusing on enjoying my riding, and I think that’s really showing in my results at the moment. I’m taking it race by race and just trying to keep building.
GateDrop: Do you spend most of your time in Denmark or where do you spend most of your time during the week?
I spend most of my time in Denmark. That’s where I’m based, and where I do my training and preparation during the week. During the season there’s always a lot of work and washing to do. I do most of it myself after training sessions and races, like cleaning the bike and washing everything so it’s ready for the week and getting everything prepared again. My Dad also spends just as many hours on it as me, maybe even more sometimes, preparing the bikes so it’s ready for races and everything is fresh. So we split the work between us.
GateDrop: Australia is far away, but if you continue these results, do you think you’ll make the long travel?
Australia is definitely far away, and right now I’m just focused on the season in front of me. If I keep these kind of results and the opportunity comes, of course it’s something I would be really interested in and look at, but it’s not something I’m thinking too much about yet. If I had to give an answer right now, I would have to say I wouldn’t be able to go simply because of my budget isn’t really there for it. Like I said, I’m just taking it race by race, enjoying the progress, and trying to keep building on what I’m doing at the moment.
GateDrop: WMX only has five rounds this year, would you like to see more rounds added to the calendar in the future?
Yes, I would like to see more rounds on the calendar in the future, but it also depends on where they are and if it makes sense logistically. For example, the first two rounds this year were back-to-back, which is good for us because it means we don’t have to travel back and forth as much.
With only five rounds and one of them being in Australia, it really means you have to be consistent every time. There’s not much room for mistakes, so every race counts a lot. But I would also love to see more rounds for the women, because I feel like we are racing at the highest level we can in motocross, and we deserve more opportunities to race and show that level more often.
