After more than ten years: Maxime Renaux and Yamaha part ways

Yamaha Motor Europe and Maxime Renaux are parting ways at the end of the 2026 season. This marks the end of a partnership spanning more than ten years, which began in the junior class on a YZ85.

Renaux celebrated his first major international success in 2015. In El Molar, Spain, he won the Junior World Championship title in the 125cc class on the YZ125. In the same year, he also secured three overall victories in the EMX125.

2021 MX2 World Champion

Renaux and Yamaha achieved their greatest joint success in 2021. In his very first season as a factory rider for the Yamaha factory team, the Frenchman secured the MX2 World Championship title. Renaux then moved straight up to the MXGP class and established himself as a winning rider despite numerous injury setbacks. In total, he claimed 19 GP race wins and 33 podium finishes.

“Maxime was part of the Yamaha family for more than a decade,” explained Yamaha’s off-road racing director, Alexandre Kowalski. “It was a great pleasure to follow his development from a talented young rider and 125cc world champion to MX2 world champion and regular MXGP title contender.” It is as yet unclear where Renaux will move to.

Is Renaux heading to Red Bull KTM?

Rumours have linked Maxime Renaux with Red Bull KTM, where he is expected to take the place of Lucas Coenen, who has moved to the USA. At present, Andrea Adamo is the only rider confirmed for the 450 class at KTM. It is also not yet clear what decision Simon Längenfelder will make. He, too, has been considering a move to the 450 class.

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Is Ruben Fernandez joining Yamaha?

As things stand, Yamaha now has only one factory rider on the grid: Tim Gajser. It is considered highly likely that Ruben Fernandez, coming from HRC, will take Renaux’s place.