HThe Nestaan ​​Husqvarna Factory Racing team kicked off the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship season at the brand-new Bariloche circuit in Patagonia, Argentina. Liam Everts delivered a strong performance in the MX2 class, finishing fourth overall, while teammate Kay de Wolf was forced to sit out due to injury.

The YPF MXGP of Argentina marked the official unveiling of the new Bariloche MX Race Track. The 1.850-meter-long circuit is located approximately 850 meters above sea level and features a mix of deep sand, dark clay, and rock. This made for fast, flowing racing, but also meant that a good start and a favorable starting position were crucial.

Everts fights despite illness

Liam Everts displayed impressive pace throughout the weekend. Remarkably, however, the Belgian rode on Sunday while ill and suffering from a fever. Despite feeling far from fit, Everts persevered and delivered a performance of character. He started the weekend strongly with the second-fastest time in warm-up. This was followed by a fourth-place finish in qualifying and another fourth-place finish in Saturday's qualifying race.

Text continues below the photo

Strong comeback in the first series

The first moto got off to a dramatic start. After a difficult start, Everts finished the first lap in 26th place. But the Belgian refused to settle for that position and mounted an impressive comeback. Within a few laps, he had already broken into the top fifteen and continued to overtake riders one by one. By halfway through the race, he was already battling around the top ten. In the closing stages, he moved up to eighth place.

Despite his illness, Everts kept pushing until the end. On the final lap, he overtook Valerio Lata and took an impressive seventh place, good for an impressive 19 positions gained.

Podium place in second series

The second moto was a completely different story. Everts got off to an excellent start and took the lead in the very first corners. After the first lap, he even held a lead of over a second. On the increasingly rough track, he extended his lead to almost three seconds. However, halfway through the race, title contender Simon Längenfelder closed the gap and eventually took the lead.

Everts continued to ride strongly and maintained his pace until the finish. He crossed the line in third place, a full fourteen seconds ahead of fourth place. With a 7-3 score, Everts ultimately finished fourth overall and, after the opening round, also holds fourth place in the MX2 World Championship with 41 points.

Text continues below the photo

Kay de Wolf still has to recover

For teammate Kay de Wolf, the opening weekend was quite different. The Dutchman missed the season opener due to a thumb injury sustained during the International de Sommières earlier this year.

Despite surgery and intensive efforts to regain fitness in time, competing in Argentina proved impossible. De Wolf needs some additional recovery time before he can race again.

The team is now focusing on the next round of the World Championship: the MXGP of Andalusia in Almonte (Spain), which will be held in two weeks.

Kay the Wolf"It's obviously disappointing that I couldn't be in Argentina for the first round, especially since this was supposed to be my debut in the MXGP class. I was really looking forward to starting the season. Unfortunately, due to the thumb injury after the crash in Sommières, it wasn't possible this weekend. Fortunately, my recovery is going well, and I'm working hard to return as soon as possible. The team has been incredibly supportive, and I can't wait to be back behind the gate."

Liam Evert"It feels really good to start the season and be racing again in 2026. Sunday morning was actually quite tough, as I woke up feeling quite ill. Because of that, I didn't really know what to expect today. The first moto was tricky because of the start, but I stayed calm and tried to pass as many riders as possible, so getting back up to seventh place was positive. In the second moto, I had a great start and even led for a while, which was a really good feeling. Ultimately, third place, just off the podium, is a solid start to the championship. I'm really happy with the Nestaan ​​Husqvarna Factory Racing team, and the bike feels great, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."

Source: Husqvarna Media – Photos: Huqvarna Media (fullspectrum.media/Bavo Swijgers)

More news