Honda Montesa make positive TrialGP debut
MotegiMiquel Gelabert completes the first round of the 2026 season, making his debut in the top class.
The first round of the 2026 TrialGP World Championship was held in Motegi (Japan) this weekend, in a home race for Honda. Last season’s Trial2 runner-up, Miquel Gelabert, debuted in the top class of the outdoor series with fifth place.
Featuring a new competition format, the action began on Friday with the 'Super Test'. Gelabert set the fifth fastest time, which allowed him to start third on Saturday in 'Race 1'.
To get 'Race 1' underway, the riders had to tackle a tough first section. Gelabert was unable to overcome the zone, but from there he navigated the sections well, albeit incurring several penalty points. He ultimately finished the lap in sixth position with 37 penalty points.
The 'Final', which determined the order of entry to the 'Super Final', had a very intense pace. Gelabert started confidently, but on Section 4 he made a mistake that gave him 5 penalty points. He responded by completing a flawless Section 5, remaining consistent to secure his qualification for the 'Super Final' in his TrialGP debut.
The sections of the 'Super Final' were challenging and demanding, and Gelabert struggled to complete some of them. He eventually finished in fifth position, scoring his first points of the season.
The team will return to action on Sunday in Motegi for the second day of the 2026 TrialGP World Championship.
"It was the first race of the TrialGP season here in Japan. I felt pretty good. I had some good and bad moments during the race, and made some silly mistakes. However, for a first race, I'm happy overall. I'm very thankful for the team because they supported and encouraged me throughout the race. We managed to make it to the 'Super Final'. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and will keep pushing."
"It was the first race of the TrialGP season here in Japan. I felt pretty good. I had some good and bad moments during the race, and made some silly mistakes. However, for a first race, I'm happy overall. I'm very thankful for the team because they supported and encouraged me throughout the race. We managed to make it to the 'Super Final'. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and will keep pushing."
"Today was our debut in the top class, and it was a positive experience. We made a few mistakes, but we learned from them and will improve for tomorrow. We can look at the day positively, especially given the new regulations and how we all had to adapt. We see that Miquel and the RTL Electric has the potential to be at the front and fight for a podium, so tomorrow we're going for that."
"Today was our debut in the top class, and it was a positive experience. We made a few mistakes, but we learned from them and will improve for tomorrow. We can look at the day positively, especially given the new regulations and how we all had to adapt. We see that Miquel and the RTL Electric has the potential to be at the front and fight for a podium, so tomorrow we're going for that."
