French MX2 rider Maxime Grau has quietly become one of the biggest surprise packages of the 2026 MX2 World Championship. After only joining the Maddii Honda team a matter of weeks before the opening round in Argentina, a disrupted winter and limited preparation left expectations modest. Instead Grau has developed into a consistent top-ten contender, with a career-best sixth overall at Loket before backing it up with an encouraging 13th overall in the brutal sands of Lommel – a circuit that once left him in tears after failing to qualify for the European championship.
We caught up with Grau after the Belgian GP as he reflects on how far he has come, why confidence has transformed his racing, the impressive work being done by the Maddii Honda squad despite limited resources, and admits there is already interest in his services for 2027 as he continues to prove he belongs among MX2’s elite.
GateDrop: Maxime, you’re a bit of a hard pack specialist, that’s where usually your best results come but I feel like overall, probably you want more, but you have to go in steps usually so it was a pretty good progress with 13th overall here at Lommel…
Grau: Yeah, anyway, I had some crashes that made my race a bit difficult in both motos, when I was P6 and when I was P9, the start was really good with almost a holeshot in the first moto. I am really happy with this and then as you know, Lommel was always very special for me, I would say it’s really my first time racing here. The last time I raced it was in European Championship back in 2022 I think, and I didn’t even qualify. I still remember, I went out there and I cried, I will not lie. I still remember it and it was always a hard experience at Lommel. This weekend, the speed was, some laps was good, you know, I was happy, but I didn’t manage to bring it all until the end which is a little bit of a shame with this. We still have a lot of time to work on this. I didn’t have so much time in the winter to train on the sand, but now we are here, we are in Belgium for 6 weeks until Arnhem, so now we are putting some work to try to improve, even in this short time, but we are slowly building.
GateDrop: I mean the thing is, when you were with Nestaan Husqvarna, you did live in Belgium, obviously you had quite a lot of injuries there, but you would have done a lot of sand, but how different is the track here than when you come here during the week? I guess it’s hard to replicate conditions like that…
Grau: Yeah, and everybody tells me, you remember when you were with Nestaan, but the unfortunate thing is, I was injured with my knee so the time was short for me. I would love to come back, but now we are here in the present. I’m focused for now here, but it’s really my first real GP in Lommel. You always remember it for sure.
GateDrop: You signed with this team just two or three weeks before Argentina. I mean, what were your expectations for this season and have you surprised yourself maybe?
Grau: Yeah, because to be fair, my winter was short and then I didn’t train like I wanted. I didn’t have a lot of time and also on the bike because I moved really quick with a completely different bike. We put in some good work in a short time and we make it happen with some crazy results, consistent top ten results. My best result last week in Loket was a P6 but on the track I was actually not feeling well, especially after the crash on Saturday and then the feeling was not the best. I made the best of it and then managed to finish P6, so I was really happy.
GateDrop: They say this sport is all about confidence. Your confidence now is maybe the best it’s ever been. Are you starting to believe that you can run with those guys? Maybe three years ago, you would have seen the back of the names and been like, wow, but are you getting used to it?
Grau: I mean, if I was chosen by Nestaan when I was a kid, it’s not for nothing. When I was 15 years old, I had this kind of speed already when I was there on hard pack and stuff. It was just about time and building. Now I feel healthy and race by race I learn and I am get better. The previous years I was doing two or three days but not putting everything together. Now I am doing a real special year so for next year, it should be really good. I am learning every round and then slowly building for next year.
GateDrop: The Maddii Honda team, how proud are you of the team because they had a rocky offseason as well. I mean, two riders left before even the GP season started so how proud are you of them and the amazing job they are doing?
Grau: Yeah, for sure, for sure. I think it’s not only about that, it’s the motivation you put in and if you really want to make it. For me, at one point I was really close to stopping because the team where I was, was almost going to quit. For myself and my dad, we don’t have a lot of money to keep going so it was tough. But then this opportunity came and we put all the pieces together and then we made the best of it. I’m really happy about all the work we put in and that all the team also put in the work.
GateDrop: Just on the bike, the bike seems really good and you’re getting really good starts as well. Are you getting any factory support yet?
Grau: No, not yet. It’s all homemade, I would say. With the starts, I mean, I have always been a really good starter when I was young. So I’m still really happy with this, you know, that I keep on going. I’m also really happy with the Honda and I enjoy a lot riding this bike. Every time I ride, I feel better, better and better.
GateDrop: For next year, any plans yet? Factory rider, how good would that be?
Grau: I don’t know. I haven’t got an update yet. I know there’s a lot of talking but I don’t know for now – my agent didn’t talk to me about this yet. I know I have some options and stuff but we will see. For now, I’m focused on my season and the season is going pretty good. I just want to do really good to end the season and then next year too.
