The 2025 season marked Noel Zanocz’s rookie campaign in the EMX250 championship after inking a deal with the JM Honda squad. The talented Hungarian quickly made his mark, impressing many with his speed and consistency in what was a highly competitive field. The championship battle went right down to the final round and although he missed out on the title, Zanocz can look back on a strong debut season.
As he looks ahead to 2026, Zanocz faces an important career decision – remain in EMX250 to chase the title or make the move up to the MX2 World Championship. Earlier in the year, the Hungarian made his ambitions clear when speaking to GateDrop.com:
“I feel like if I can finish on the box in the overall championship, I’m going to move up. I don’t want to stay here to win if I have a strong season. The thing is, many riders who stayed here, they just stop going up a level. My goal is to be as good as possible. So, I want to move as quickly as possible,” Zanocz told GateDrop.com.
It now appears those words could soon come to fruition. We understand that the Van Venrooy KTM team could have Zanocz under their awning for the 2026 season – which would see him make his full-time debut in the MX2 World Championship.
While there’s been no official confirmation yet, it’s widely expected that Cas Valk will depart the team and make the switch to TM, as previously reported. With that move on the horizon, Van Venrooy KTM have been on the lookout for another young and promising rider, and Zanocz fits that profile perfectly.
Adding fuel to the rumours, the Hungarian has already been spotted riding a KTM at the GP track of Arnhem – see the video below courtesy of MXVice.
In addition to their potential MX2 signing, the Van Venrooy KTM team are also expected to have an EMX250 rider under their awning for 2026.
We’ll bring you more news as and when we hear further updates from the paddock.
