Firstly, let’s start by saying just how great Motocross is. It is one of – if not *the* toughest sport in the world. The physical demands placed on riders are extraordinary, the level of skill required is unbelievable, and for those of us who truly appreciate the sport, there are few things more exciting than watching the best riders in the world push themselves to the limit every weekend in gnarly conditions.
Everyone involved in Motocross, from riders and teams to promoters, manufacturers, media and fans, should ultimately have the same goal: helping the sport grow.
Of course, Motocross is very different to MotoGP. For casual motorsports fans, MotoGP will probably always have broader appeal. They can naturally attract a wider audience than muddy fields and changing weather conditions. However, that doesn’t mean Motocross can’t improve in certain areas.
From a media perspective, MXGP actually has one huge advantage over MotoGP. Because the paddock is smaller and more accessible, journalists can generally approach riders directly and ask for interviews. That openness creates opportunities for longer, more in-depth conversations. In MotoGP, media slots often have to be booked in advance. You may only get five or ten minutes with a rider, making it much more difficult to produce detailed features.
But there are still areas where MXGP could take lessons from other championships. The AMA Pro Motocross Championship, for example, hosts a Friday press day. It provides the media with dedicated opportunities to speak with riders and gather stories before the racing begins.
MXGP weekends are incredibly busy, and introducing something similar wouldn’t be straightforward. However, perhaps additional Friday press conferences could be explored to give journalists more structured access to riders. With start practice schedules already tight, it would require careful planning, but it’s certainly worth discussing. Teams could also potentially do more to create slots with the riders, managers, owners or mechanics over a certain weekend to make them available for media duties.
Despite what some may think, there is a media presence in the MXGP paddock. GateDrop, Cult Moto, MXLarge, Dirt Hub and MX Vice are among the English-speaking outlets covering the championship. Whilst not all of them attend every round, they still commit significant time and resources throughout the season rather than simply appearing at their local rounds. There are also many media outlets from a number of different countries around Europe as well.
Perhaps the biggest frustration within Motocross, however, is how much information remains behind closed doors. People need to understand that the media often knows far more than it publishes. Journalists also rely on relationships. Maintaining trust with teams and manufacturers is important, which means not every piece of information can be reported immediately. But there is a difference between protecting sources and operating in a culture where almost everything remains unnecessarily secretive.
MotoGP offers an interesting comparison. Team owners and principals are often remarkably open with the media. They’ll openly discuss which riders they’re talking to for the following season and provide genuine insight into ongoing negotiations. That simply doesn’t happen in Motocross.
But this is 2026. Fans are more engaged than ever and increasingly want greater insight into what’s happening behind the scenes. Transfer speculation, contract discussions and future plans are exactly the types of stories supporters follow closely. Greater transparency could build anticipation, generate discussion and ultimately help grow the sport. Teams may argue that confidentiality protects negotiations, sponsors and existing rider relationships. There is merit to that. Not everything can or should be public immediately. The question is whether Motocross has swung too far towards secrecy at a time when openness could generate excitement and attract new fans.
One person who has brought a refreshing approach from MotoGP into Motocross is Paolo Ciabatti. Since arriving in the MXGP paddock with Ducati, he has generally been pretty open with the media and isn’t afraid to occasionally provide an interesting insight or scoop during interviews. It feels modern. Perhaps that should become the norm rather than the exception.
Take last year’s rider market as an example. Yamaha and Honda couldn’t officially announce Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser as new riders until January 1st due to contractual restrictions. By the time those announcements finally arrived, virtually everyone with an interest in the sport already knew they were happening. As a result, the impact was underwhelming.
Why couldn’t those deals have been announced earlier? If the riders couldn’t ride their new machines until January the 1st, videos could have still been published that day to help build the hype. Fans would still engage with it.
Contracts themselves are another area lacking transparency. Increasingly, riders are being announced on “multi-year deals,” but little detail is ever provided beyond that phrase. Is it two years? Three? Four? For journalists and fans trying to understand the rider market and future possibilities, it becomes unnecessarily difficult to determine when contracts expire. That information should be common knowledge.
Then there’s the issue of content distribution. Everyone says they want to grow the sport, but television rights restrictions often work against that objective. If there’s a spectacular crash or dramatic moment during an MXGP race, independent media outlets can’t even post the footage from the live stream on Instagram. Yet those are precisely the moments that capture attention outside the existing fanbase. They’re the clips that can go viral and introduce new audiences to Motocross. Restricting that exposure arguably limits the sport’s ability to attract fresh eyes.
Will this article change anything? No. But perhaps it’s worth highlighting a few areas where Motocross could evolve and move forward with the times.
The sport itself is incredible. The athletes deserve more recognition than they receive, and the racing frequently delivers unforgettable moments. Maybe becoming a little more transparent, a little more accessible could help Motocross become bigger and stronger than ever before.
After all, if everyone genuinely wants to grow the sport, then these conversations are worth having. The sport is brilliant. That’s exactly why we should be asking how it can become even better.
