Honda to field new duo in the 2027 MX2 World Championship: one joins from KTM

Honda’s line-up for the 2027 MX2 World Championship is being completely overhauled, with the two Italians Ferruccio Zanchi and Valerio Lata (who is joining KTM) being replaced by the former privateer riders Julius Mikula and Maxime Grau.

The deal with Grau (20) has been taking shape over the past few months, as has the signing of Mikula. The 20-year-old Czech has made several impressive appearances for the KTM Osicka team over the past two years and has already tested prototype machinery for the Mattighofen-based manufacturer.

Grau knows the Honda inside out, has already enjoyed factory support whilst riding for the Maddii team, and finished the year in 11th place in the World Championship standings despite a few problems and setbacks. At Loket and in Turkey, he recorded sixth-place finishes as his best individual results. Mikula even took his KTM to ninth place in the MX2 final standings, despite missing the round in Australia and consequently missing out on eighth place overall. His best result on the day was fourth place at Arco.

Maxime Grau thanked the Maddii team

“Riding for HRC is a wonderful opportunity and I’m proud of it,” said Grau. “I’ve worked hard to get here, so I want to make the most of this opportunity and will give it my all. Lots of people have been following my progress ever since I started racing at a very young age. I’d like to thank the Maddii Racing team for believing in me at the start of the year. Without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now I want to keep this momentum going and I’m really looking forward to racing for HRC.”

Julius Mikula: From KTM to Honda

“It’s an honour to ride for HRC and to be part of such a great team,” beamed Mikula. “When you see the team in the paddock, you immediately realise how professionally they work. It’s a brilliant feeling that they’ve now placed their trust in me. Whilst I know that this year’s results have brought me to people’s attention, I’m also well aware that the real work is only just beginning: the Honda CRF250R is a new bike for me, and I’ll need to get used to the team environment as well. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and have resolved to work hard during the off-season to be as well prepared as possible for 2027.”