Coming into the 2025 season, Pauls Jonass found himself at an important crossroads in his career. After enjoying success with the Standing Construct team, who unfortunately closed their doors at the end of 2024, the Latvian was handed the chance to return to full factory status. Factory Kawasaki, who previously ran Jeremy Seewer under their awning, opted for a fresh direction by signing the 2017 MX2 World Champion.
The move marked a big opportunity for Jonass who’s season has been disrupted. Injuries have hurt his momentum but he recently a return to action and is determined to finish the year strongly.
Jonass will also line up at the Motocross of Nations in Ironman, representing Latvia alongside the talented Reisulis brothers – a trio that could spring a surprise on the world stage.
Looking ahead, it appears that Jonass’ future is already shaping up. We understand that for 2026 he will remain with Factory KRT, meaning the team’s line-up should be unchanged. Romain Febvre is already locked in with another year on his contract, while exciting French prospect Mathis Valin also inked a two-year deal, ensuring he stays put. That gives Kawasaki a solid and balanced line-up with experience at the front and youth for the future.
There had previously been whispers that Kawasaki might expand to run two MX2 factory riders in 2026, but that no longer seems likely. Still, the prospect hasn’t been completely ruled out for the future, with 2027 perhaps offering a better opportunity for the brand to field two full-strength squads across both MXGP and MX2.
For now, Kawasaki appear to have stability heading into 2026. With Jonass, Febvre and Valin all racing the MXoN in October for their respective countries, the green machines will be well represented at one of motocross’ biggest stages.
As always, we’ll keep you updated as more information develops from the paddock.
