Wait, What? Great Britain Disqualified From 2026 Motocross of Nations

Well, this is certainly something you don’t see every day.

A month after the 2026 FIM Motocross of Nations wrapped up in Ernée, France, Great Britain has officially been disqualified, wiping out the team’s seventh-place overall finish.

The decision stems from a post-event fuel inspection that revealed a technical violation involving Ben Mustoe, who represented Great Britain alongside Ben Watson and Taylor Hammal. The FIM announced this week that Mustoe had been disqualified from the entire event, and under FIM regulations, that penalty extends to the national team.

So, how exactly did we get here?

According to the FIM, fuel samples were collected from nine randomly selected motorcycles across the MXGP, MX2, and Open classes during the event. The riders tested included Cooper Webb, Lucas Coenen, Aaron Tanti, and Mustoe, among others.

Following further analysis, Mustoe’s fuel sample was found to be noncompliant with FIM fuel regulations and did not match any certified Category 2 race fuel.

The FIM explained: “Among the aforementioned riders, the fuel sample of rider No. 47, Ben MUSTOE was found not to be in conformity with the current FIM Fuels Regulations and specifications and thus did not correspond to any FIM certified race fuel category 2.”

As a result, Race Direction disqualified Mustoe from the entire event. Under Articles 5.42.5 and 5.42.6 of the FIM Motocross Regulations, the disqualification of an individual rider for this violation also results in the disqualification of their national team.

The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), Great Britain’s national governing body, has accepted the ruling but emphasized that there was no indication of intentional wrongdoing or an unfair competitive advantage.

“There is no suggestion the irregularity provided a competitive advantage or resulted from any deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations by either the team or the riders. There is no allegation of intentional wrongdoing, and we remain confident in the professionalism and integrity of TeamGB.”

The ACU added that it is conducting a thorough review alongside TeamGB to determine how the irregularity occurred and prevent a similar situation in the future.

While the violation centered on Mustoe’s motorcycle, the consequences extend to the entire British team. What was originally a seventh-place overall finish has now been erased from the official record. The FIM also confirmed that no appeal was filed within the required deadline, making Race Direction’s decision final.

The official results of the 2026 Motocross of Nations have since been updated to reflect Great Britain’s disqualification.