Who will rise to the occasion? With Jett Lawrence injured, the rest of the factory field have increased optimism that this year could be their year and a Supercross title is within the grasp.
We a similar situation last year when Cooper Webb smelt blood in the the water and went for the kill to successfully win his third AMA Supercross title in a head-to-head duel with Chase Sexton, but who will step up in 2026?
Honestly, it’s hard not to put Cooper Webb right there once again, I don’t think his motivation will have lessened, his ability to rise under pressure is remarkable but will he come out swinging at A1? That depends on how well adjusted he is to the 2026 Yamaha which has changed slightly from the prevous version. Webb will be there as the series goes on and his rivals knowd not to play mind games because there will only be one winner! This time he isn’t going in under the radar.
Chase Sexton has never had a speed issue even on the KTM he didn’t like! When it comes to pure speed he might be the fastest out there, but can he stay away from the small mistakes and crashes that cost him the title last year? The pressure is on Chase and Kawasaki this year to perform, he needs to get comfortable on the bike because there is nowhere else to go after three manufacturers in four years and Kawasaki have to provide him with a bike that he can ride to his full potential. Sexton and Kawasaki are under the spotlight in 2026 but they also should have the most motivation.
Talking of motivated, Eli Tomac has a one year deal on KTM and one more Supercross title on his mind to get revenge for the title he cruelly lost a couple of years ago with his achilles injury. Tomac looks decent on the KTM and should be even better after learning more about the hike in WSX. The question for Eli is can he stay healthy and can his starts improve from last year to put him up front every week? Tomac has the experience, knows how to win and has a team full of winners behind him. This could be his final shot at a title and you know Eli and KTM will be all in – and KTM especially won’t want Sexton and Kawasaki beating them!
Ken Roczen has all the riding skills and raw speed you news to ve champion and, until the backmarker took him out in Tampa, Roczen was in the battle for the title which shield give him more confidence coming into 2026 than he had in 2025 at A1. With Suzuki Japan very much involved that should only help Roczen get even more comfortable on the Suzuki and if it all goes perfectly and Roczen’s health remains strong down the stretch, it could be a Hollywood movie ending if Roczen wins the title after those bad injuries in 2017 and 2018. Roczen usually starts the season strong, don’t be surprised if he wins A1.
Hunter Lawrence ended 2025 in the form of this life. He was Jett’s closest challenger in AMA Motocross and SMX, just half a lap away from winning that title until Jett passed Tomac fir second to leave Hunter devastated. Hunter still regrouped and was the man at the MXoN to lead Australia to their second title in a row. It proved Hunter is getting better every year and his talent level is elite, if he brings and form and confidence to Supercross he should be taken seriously as a contender. Yes, injury ruined last season indoors but if Hunter starts strong this year and gets an early season win to prove to himself he can do it, here is no reason he can’t contend for this title. He is Honda’s main man in Supercross, it might just be his time shine.
While Aaron Plessinger, Malcolm Stewart, Jason Anderson can also all be in the mix along with the consistent Justin Cooper it seems that the big five just have an edge right now looking back over the last 12 months – but give any of those just mentioned an early win and some confidence, they could become a real thorn in the side.
The 2026 season is full of unknowns and opportunity and that’s not even talking about how Jorge Prado will do on KTM, the under the radar but very fast Joey Savatgy and Christian Craig, RJ Hampshire and Garrett Marchbanks movimg up to the 450 class, or the all new Ducati with Justin Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis…or how Jett Lawrence return later in the season could impact the championship!
The wait is almost over for the 2026 Supercross season!
