The modern era of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been shaped by KTM's four-stroke machinery. The 450 SX-F – along with the now-shelved 350 SX-F – is responsible for eight of the last fifteen premier class crowns and may yet claim a ninth, with rookie sensation Lucas Coenen steering the charge.

Coenen's been a bright spot in what's been a turbulent stretch for KTM AG – a brand whose struggles have drawn attention across both industry and mainstream outlets. His victory at the Czech Grand Prix marked his fourth of the term and secured a subtle milestone for the marque: its 140th win in the category. The class-leading total has been built by ten different riders – dominance that dwarfs the tallies of both Yamaha (80) and Honda (71).

DYNAMIC DUO DELIVERS

A significant portion of KTM's success can be traced back to an iconic duo: Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings, who account for a staggering 81% of the brand's premier-class victories. Cairoli was the only rider to tame a 350 SX-F, collecting 43 wins on the underpowered machine before finally switching to the 450F at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2015. The move had been on his radar since the start of the season, but an injury-plagued winter led him to choose comfort over outright power. By round six, however, he was winless and facing mounting pressure.

Cairoli won on debut with the 450 SX-F – Spain marked one of his two triumphs in 2015 – and amassed another 21 with KTM's most powerful steed, bringing his 'orange' total to 65. His final win came at the 2021 Grand Prix of Pietramurata. The following season marked a dramatic downturn: KTM went winless in MXGP for the first time since the troubled 2006 campaign. Cairoli's retirement, coupled with Herlings sitting out the entire year due to a foot injury, left the team without a podium threat or even a top ten finisher.

KTM's finest hour came in 2018, however, when Cairoli and Herlings combined to win 19 of 20 grands prix – with Russia standing as the lone blemish in an otherwise perfect season. Remarkably, KTM won more that year than Yamaha has in the last decade. A stat that underscores how the Austrian brand has defined the 20th century.

SATELITTE SURPRISES

KTM Images/Ray Archer

In its current form, KTM lacks a true support network in the premier class. Outside of the two factory outfits, only JP253 regularly flies the orange flag inside MXGP's top ten. Adam Sterry (Chambers KTM) and Roan van de Moosdijk (Kosak KTM) also serve as allies in the sport's most competitive division, but the contrast to years past is stark. During the 2010s, a strong lineup of satellite teams – including Hitachi KTM fueled by Milwaukee and Standing Construct KTM – ensured Austrian machinery benefitted from a constant presence at the front.

The 2015 Grand Prix of Belgium at Lommel marked the first time a privateer rider took a KTM 450 SX-F to the top of grand prix. With the factory squad sidelined, Shaun Simpson seized the moment and delivered a sensational sweep of the motos. His efforts were rewarded with a full-factory bike for the final three rounds of the season and he made the most of it, winning on debut in The Netherlands in what would ultimately be his last win aboard KTM machinery. Simpson claimed just one more grand prix victory in his career, as a Yamaha rider in Indonesia in 2017.

Standing Construct KTM stands as a prime example of how a satellite team can – and should – operate. Its status as a once-legitimate alternative to factory equipment is made obvious by the fact that Glenn Coldenhoff never won during his time with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Instead, his two victories in orange came after he left the factory setup and was effectively 'demoted' to the second tier of the paddock. Coldenhoff added to KTM's win tally with standout performances at Uddevalla and Imola in 2019.

Simpson and Coldenhoff serve as prime examples of riders who thrived after stepping away from the pressures of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Conversely, the opposite holds true for Jonathan Barragan and Max Nagl; both of whom were discovered while riding for satellite KTM teams and reached new heights after being promoted. Barragan claimed all six of his career grand prix wins under the guidance of then-KTM boss Stefan Everts in 2008 and 2009 – a tally that places him third in the brand's premier-class win column.

Nagl claimed four grand prix victories with KTM between 2008 and 2010, enjoying brief but notable success. He went on to deliver even more for the KTM AG umbrella, securing four additional wins as a Husqvarna rider in 2015 and 2016. Honda HRC refined his skillset in the interim but could only extract one overall win from the diminutive German. Nagl first appeared on a grand prix podium as a Sarholz KTM rider in 2007 – a breakthrough performance that earned him a promotion to the factory team the following season.

FOUR-WIN FRATERNITY

KTM Images/Ray Archer

The four-win fraternity that Nagl belongs to is a well-populated one; Ben Townley, Jorge Prado and Lucas Coenen have each tallied the same number of premier-class wins aboard KTM machinery. Townley's 450 SX-F campaign came in 2005 – his debut season in the premier class – and all four of his wins were recorded that year. Remarkably, he never claimed another premier-class victory anywhere in the world after that. It's a staggering statistic, considering the promise he showed when he stood atop the podium for the final time at Arreton.

Prado's four wins aboard the KTM 450 SX-F came across his two seasons with the brand in MXGP. The bulk of his success – including both of his MXGP world titles – came on a GASGAS. In fact, Prado's responsible for 14 of the 21 premier class wins achieved by non-KTM colors within the KTM AG portfolio. This supports recent strategic shifts to refocus resources on 'orange' and reduce internal conflict. Consider this: KTM has not claimed an MXGP title since 2021, while GASGAS has secured two in that span.

KTM's hopes of reclaiming the MXGP crown now rest on Lucas Coenen – a four-time winner at the time of writing – who represents the start of a new dawn. With Herlings rumored to depart at season's end, the brand is preparing to replace the iconic Cairoli-Herlings tandem for the first time since 2010. The spotlight on Coenen will only grow brighter; he is poised to become the new face of a manufacturer that has set the benchmark in motocross for nearly two decades.

A LITTLE SHY OF GLORY

KTM's list of premier-class winners is an exclusive one – and David Philippaerts rounds it out with just one win. He remains a rare example of KTM AG losing a future champion who had already delivered success under their banner. Philippaerts secured the brand's only MXGP win in 2007 but departed for Yamaha the following season and immediately captured the world title – denying KTM's own title hopefuls, Barragan and Nagl, in the process. The title was one of Yamaha's last in grand prix.

Philippaerts' success with KTM came as a surprise, but there are others who seemed destined to win on the 450 SX-F and never quite reached the top step. Belgium's Steve Ramon and Ken De Dycker stand out – each collected two moto wins during their stints on the steed. The most dramatic failure, however, came in 2006. That season, KTM assembled a star-studded lineup of Mickaël Pichon and Sébastien Tortelli, both highly decorated stars. The result? A moto win and zero podium finishes between them – a dismal return on investment.

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

KTM's MX1/MXGP winners: Antonio Cairoli (65), Jeffrey Herlings (48), Jonathan Barragan (6), Ben Townley (4), Max Nagl (4), Jorge Prado (4), Lucas Coenen (4), Shaun Simpson (2), Glenn Coldenhoff (2), David Philippaerts (1).

KTM's MX1/MXGP moto winners: Antonio Cairoli (118), Jeffrey Herlings (91), Max Nagl (17), Lucas Coenen (11), Jonathan Barragan (9), Jorge Prado (8), Ben Townley (5), Shaun Simpson (4), Glenn Coldenhoff (4), Steve Ramon (2), David Philippaerts (2), Ken De Dycker (2), Sébastien Tortelli (1), Kevin Strijbos (1), Max Anstie (1).

MX1/MXGP wins by manufacturer: KTM (140), Yamaha (80), Honda (71), Kawasaki (33), Suzuki (28), GASGAS (15), Husqvarna (6)