Maddii Honda Racing have been searching for an MX2 World Championship rider for the 2027 season to replace Maxime Grau, who is expected to head to the full factory Honda HRC squad for the upcoming campaign. Now, it is thought that the Italian-based team could have found their man in the form of Norwegian talent Pelle Gundersen.
Maddii Honda land Grau replacement?
It’s thought that Maddii Honda had genuine interest in both Cas Valk and Byron Dennis, but both riders opted to remain with the KTM brand heading into the 2027 season, although neither move has been officially confirmed at this stage.
The team did an excellent job with Maxime Grau this year, helping the Frenchman finish eleventh in the MX2 World Championship. Before joining Maddii Honda, Grau had never finished a Grand Prix weekend inside the top ten overall, making his progress with the team particularly impressive.
Their work with the Frenchman has ultimately helped him reportedly earn a move to the full factory HRC squad, demonstrating the team’s ability to develop young talent and provide riders with a platform to progress to the highest level.
With Grau moving on, it is now thought that Gundersen could be the rider Maddii Honda turn to for the 2027 season. The move would represent a significant step forward for the Norwegian, who would be set to contest the entire MX2 World Championship for the first time in his career.
Gundersen secures a full-time MX2 World Championship ride?
Despite being just 17 years old, Gundersen has made a quick transition into MX2 World Championship competition. In 2025, he had initially planned to contest the EMX250 series but soon decided to gain experience by competing in selected MX2 Grand Prix events instead.
That approach continued into 2026, with the Norwegian contesting as many MX2 World Championship rounds as possible in a bid to learn, gain valuable experience and impress teams in the hope of securing a full-time ride for 2027. It now appears that his efforts may have paid off.
Up until this point, Gundersen has received support from Husqvarna Scandinavia as well as his father, Kenneth Gundersen, a former Grand Prix rider. However, he has been operating with a privateer setup, making the prospect of joining an established team like Maddii Honda a major opportunity.
Should the move come to fruition, Gundersen would not only get the chance to compete in the full MX2 World Championship but would also have to adapt to Honda machinery after racing Husqvarna. He would also be spending a significant amount of time based in Italy which would bring another change for the young Norwegian to adjust to.
There could be an adaptation period as he gets accustomed to his new surroundings and machinery, but securing a full-time ride with an established team would be exactly the kind of opportunity he has been working towards.
For now, the potential move remains a rumour and still needs to be officially confirmed. As always, we’ll bring you further updates from around the paddock as and when we hear more, so stay tuned…
