Benoit Paturel will compete in the final round of the Brazilian Motocross Championship this weekend, where he will support Enzo Lopes at Honda.
Benoit Paturel will make his Brazilian debut this weekend with the official Honda team, as part of the grand finale of the Brazilian Motocross Championship. The Frenchman will strengthen the manufacturer’s line-up for the final round of the season in Brumadinho, where Enzo Lopes is fighting for the MX1 title against Dutch rider Glenn Coldenhoff.
Leading the championship heading into the ninth and final round, Enzo Lopes has just a six-point advantage over the Yamaha rider. It is a relatively small gap heading into the final, which will take place this Sunday, September 13. In this context, Honda Brazil will be able to count on a quality reinforcement with the arrival of Paturel.
This one-off appearance comes largely due to the absence of Jeremy Van Horebeek, who is still recovering from the crash he suffered during the double-header held in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe. The Belgian will not be able to compete in the finale, forcing Reinaldo Almeida’s team to revise its line-up for the final round.
Benoit Paturel will therefore race the 450 CR-F in the MX1 category alongside Enzo Lopes. It will be a first experience in Brazil for the Frenchman, who has not been seen racing since his one-off appearance at the French Grand Prix in Lacapelle Marival with JK Racing Yamaha.
At 31 years old, Benoit Paturel has a wealth of international experience. He finished third in the 2016 MX2 World Championship and also helped France secure victory at the Motocross of Nations that same year. More recently, he experienced the US outdoor series with the HEP Suzuki team during the 2025 season.
“I am very happy to have this opportunity. We were able to do some testing during the week. It has been a few months since I have raced, but I continue to train physically. The goal will be to do my best and learn more about the team, the bike and the country. I have been made to feel very welcome and the atmosphere is really great,” explained the Frenchman upon joining the Honda Brazil team.
There is also an interesting angle to Paturel’s one-off appearance in Brazil. The Frenchman had been mentioned during the winter as one of the candidates for a Yamaha ride in the Brazilian championship this season, before the Dutchman ultimately secured the position. A few months later, the two riders will therefore find themselves facing each other, with Paturel’s unofficial objective being to support Coldenhoff’s main title rival, Enzo Lopes.
The Brumadinho finale will also give Paturel the opportunity to return to racing after several months away from competition. It will certainly be a unique outing for the Frenchman, who will discover both a new championship and a new team. And who knows what opportunities this one-off appearance could lead to, at a time when Brazil is making a major effort to attract new riders to the country.
