Motocross Statistics | Previewing The MXoN 4

The Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations disappears in the blink of an eye. It's the most intense, explosive experience for an off-road fan. Context is essential in order to make the most of such euphoria. Each star has his own tale, as does each nation. It's the best collection of frameworks, personalities and motivation.

- Australia (Jett Lawrence, Kyle Webster and Hunter Lawrence), Slovenia (Tim Gajser, Jaka Peklaj and Jan Pancar) and Brazil (Enzo Lopes, Bernardo Tiburcio and Fabio Santos) are the only nations that have entered the exact same lineup as last year. Just 25 of the 36 countries that raced last year will take to the track on this occasion.

- Australia is on a podium streak of three at the moment (2022, 2023 and 2024). There is no other country who is sat on a run of trophies. The USA and The Netherlands – podium finishers last year – missed the box back in 2023. It was France (first) and Italy (third) that joined Australia on the podium that year. In contrast, Belgium has not ended in the top three in the 2020s.

- France is the only nation with a top five streak of note: the seven-time winners have not dropped out of the top five since 2012. They have flirted with the 'drop zone' on more than one occasion, having finished fifth four times since then. France has finished either first, second or fifth at the last eleven races. 2004 was the last time that the nation stood on the podium's lowest step.

- Despite their run of impressive form, Australia's record's been inconsistent over the last 20 years. In that time, they have had four medals and landed in the top six on six occasions. Australia's mean finish is eighth. USA (average of third), France (third), Belgium (fourth), Great Britain (sixth), The Netherlands (seventh) and Italy (seventh) have better averages.

- The red in Australia's flag will be especially notable at the MXoN, as all three athletes will 'ride red' like 2024. Two other nations are covered by one manufacturer, Uruguay (KTM) and Costa Rica (GASGAS). 12 manufacturers will compete: KTM (29), Yamaha (26), Honda (16), Husqvarna (13), Kawasaki (12), GASGAS (8), Triumph (3), Ducati (2), Fantic (2), Suzuki (1), TM (1) and Beta (1).

- Eight of the riders on Ironman's start line have won an individual moto. Italy's Antonio Cairoli has won more than anyone else with six moto wins (the first in 2006 and the most recent in 2013). Romain Febvre (4), Glenn Coldenhoff (4), Jett Lawrence (3), Tim Gajser (3), Maxime Renaux (2), Ken Roczen (1) and Eli Tomac (1) have won too.

- It's been more than 10 years since Belgium had a moto winner, that was Kevin Strijbos in 2014, and six years since the nation took a medal. 2024 was the team's lowest ebb; they finished outside of the top six for the first time since 1989. That is 36 years of consecutive top six scores and in just two of those years, 2018 and 2021, did they drop outside of the top five.

- Australia won in 2024 with a total of 26, which is not typical of this event. Excluding 2021, which was simply an MXoN in name, the last time that a country won with a total more than 20 was in 2018. France won with 32. Typically, a total more than 25 points to a close race not all-out dominance. How does this reflect on Australia's lineup for this weekend?

- In a similar vein, three points separated Australia and the USA at Matterley Basin. The last time that the top two finishers were so close was in 2016, when France (29 points) edged The Netherlands out by one point (this excludes 2021 once again, where one point was also the difference). 2019 stands as a brilliant example of dominance: The Netherlands won by 29 points.

- Perhaps the most beautiful statistic of all is that in four of the last five events, the host country has won. The run started with The Netherlands in 2019, then Italy in 2021 and USA when the race last landed in North America in 2022. France dominated in 2023, but this streak concluded when Australia won some 22 hours from home in Great Britain.

- Team USA has won an individual class just twice in the last ten years, thanks to Justin Cooper (MX2 in 2022) and Justin Barcia (MXGP in 2015). It's been 10 years since the nation won either of the two 450F classes! It's of note that Eli Tomac has not won his class since his first appearance in 2013, but he's been in the top three in four of his five rides (fourth in 2013).

- Saturday is indicative of what'll happen on Sunday. Seven times in the last 20 years, the polesitters have claimed the Chamberlain Trophy. The trend's been bucked as of late, however, as it's only happened in two of the last six events. Spain (2024) and Australia (2013) are the most surprising qualification results of this century. That was Australia's last pole position.

- Simon Längenfelder has completed ten motos at the MXoN yet scored a top ten once. That happened in his most recent attempt, moto two at Matterley Basin, where he scored a terrific third, making him Team Germany's top scorer for just the second time. The first came at RedBud in 2022. Germany's relied on Längenfelder as their MX2 rider since the start of the decade.

- 11 MX2 riders have previously competed in the MXoN, but just nine have experience aboard the 250F. Kay de Wolf is the only active MX2 rider who has finished inside of the top ten in more than one moto (four times in six tries). Längenfelder, Andrea Adamo and Mikkel Haarup are the only others with some experience of dropping a 250F into the top ten (once apiece).

- Underlining the importance of the MX2 role, just six nations saw their best result come from their 250F pilot last season. The Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, Denmark, Czechia and South Africa leant on 'wow' factor from their MX2 riders. Similarly, six nations did that in 2023 too (The Netherlands, Czechia and South Africa appeared on that list as well).

- This is the first time in more than ten years that a Kawasaki-mounted athlete has represented Spain (the last was Jorge Zaragoza in 2014). In a similar vein, this is the first time since 2010 that there hasn't been an Austrian manufacturer on Team Spain. Their riders will be Honda, Triumph and Kawasaki representatives on this occasion.

- Martin Barr of Ireland will make his 19th appearance for his national team. Barr, who debuted in 2005, has missed just one edition, that being the pandemic-hindered event in 2021. Cairoli will make his 16th appearance, while Harri Kullas starts for the 15th time. Jeremy Seewer's set to race for the 13th time (he too only missed 2021) and Coldenhoff will make his 12th start.

- Dylan Walsh (Great Britain), Kullas (Estonia) and Joaquin Poli (Argentina) stand as very rare examples of riders who have raced for different countries in the past. Walsh, set to debut for Britain, competed for New Zealand in 2019. Kullas last raced for Finland in 2013 and Poli represented FIM Latin America in 2024.