DAVE THORPE – OUR SPORT

Dave Thorpe is one of the true legends of the sport of motocross. A three-time 500cc World Champion and still a team owner in the UK, the British legend loves his motocross and is keenly waiting for the 2026 season to get under way.

For Thorpe, who is a big Honda man, having won his three titles for HRC in the 1980s, he is excited to see what Jeffrey Herlings can do on the Honda machine and he is feeling like 2026 could be the equal to any previous season of Grand Prix motocross.

One thing that Dave Thorpe doesn’t forget is the history of our sport and the men who put their mark in the sport. Be it former rival, Eric Geboers, current racers or the greatest promoter of all time, Giuseppe Luongo. You can read his opinions below.

The 2026 season

Thorpe: On paper, there is no reason this season isn’t equal with any other era. As you said, there are so many world champions involved. There are a lot of young guns, who have had MX2 success coming into the big class and Romain, you cannot argue he wasn’t a deserved world champion and there is so much talent out there. I agree with you, 2026 will be amazing and there is a lot of depth.

His rivalry with Eric Geboers

Thorpe: Eric and I are a similar age; he is a month older than me and we got on really well. I think when you ride in a team, you need to get on with your team-mates, and you need to understand them. What is it they say, you need to keep your enemies close. Eric and I were great friends, and I learnt a lot from him, and I am sure he learnt a little bit from me, and I think being a team-mate, it’s about helping each other to the next level. I think when Jeffrey and Tom start riding together, I think the dynamic will be good.

His admiration for retired Giuseppe Luongo

Thorpe: For me, full of admiration for Giuseppe. It is never an easy journey, when you start where he started, but when you look to where he got to, you can only be impressed, with what is now the pinnacle of world motocross. I think he did a fantastic job. When you are in that position, then you will never please everybody and then they will pull you down and that is the nature of humans. On a personal level, he has always been very kind and respectful in what happened in the past and I have nothing but admiration for him. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea of where we are at, but I think everyone is looking forward to 2026 in MXGP.