ZXMOTO boss Zhang Xue: “In five to ten years we want a Chinese world champion”

How serious is ZXMOTO about entering the Motocross World Championship? At the MXGP of China, company boss Zhang Xue answered questions from Chinese journalists – and spoke surprisingly openly about riders, expectations for 2027, and the lagging state of Chinese young talent. Only the last question brought the conversation to a rather abrupt end.

ZXMOTO has announced plans to compete in MXGP with its own project starting in 2027. Zhang confirmed in Shanghai that preparations are already underway. The team structure has been contractually finalized, but negotiations regarding riders are still ongoing.

And it seems that there are differing opinions internally, especially there.

Zhang would apparently prefer to sign a top-tier driver right from the start. His racing director takes a more pragmatic view and, according to Zhang, has pointed out that such drivers are above all else: incredibly expensive.

Zhang took it in good humor. For the first year, ZXMOTO might therefore take a more conservative approach to rider selection.

This is also interesting in light of our information that ZXMOTO is expected to utilize the structures of the Fantic factory team, currently led by Jacky Martens, in 2027. A completely new team might not even be formed. The manufacturer and the motorcycles would be new, but part of the team behind them would remain the same.

Podium instead of grand pronouncements

Zhang was accordingly reserved regarding sporting expectations.

The first year will primarily be used to further develop the motorcycle under real World Championship conditions. Currently, they can only work on problems that are already known. Other weaknesses will inevitably only become apparent when the motorcycle is actually used against the established MXGP bikes.

That's exactly why racing is needed.

Zhang therefore cited the following as a key focus for 2027: Reliability and performance of the motorcycleInstead of immediately talking about victories or a World Championship placement, he formulated a much more cautious goal: One or two podium finishes in the first year would apparently already be a result that ZXMOTO could live with.

For a manufacturer entering a class with Honda, KTM, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Ducati and Triumph, this is at least not a completely outlandish statement.

The question remains, however, which rider ZXMOTO will ultimately put on the motorcycle. Zhang made it quite clear that he doesn't underestimate the importance of a fast rider. But of course, they also have to be able to afford him.

For Chinese talent, China alone is not enough.

The conversation became even more interesting when it turned to young Chinese talent. Zhang painted a rather bleak picture of the current situation. In his opinion, any young Chinese driver who wanted to reach international level eventually had to go to Europe or the USA early on.

His assessment was quite clear: there could be a chance for the children currently riding 85cc bikes – provided their families were willing to take that step with them. In his opinion, training exclusively in China was currently insufficient to reach the top international level later on.

ZXMOTO apparently intends to help with this themselves.

The manufacturer already supports young riders during training stays in Europe. This program is set to expand in 2027. More up-and-coming riders will have the opportunity to train outside of China, and ZXMOTO intends to cover a larger portion of the associated costs.

There's a fairly long-term plan behind it.

ZXMOTO aims to produce a Chinese world champion within the next five to ten years.

Zhang wasn't specified which championship or class he was referring to during the Q&A session. Nevertheless, the statement indicates that the commitment isn't limited to just two MXGP motorcycles for 2027.

Preparations for the next step are already underway within his own circle. Zhang explained that his son is now riding a 125cc motorcycle and also his own MX250, thus preparing for the next class.

Safety before results

Zhang was considerably more brief on some questions. He declined to offer a professional assessment of the difficulty and design of the rebuilt track in Shanghai, stating that he was not sufficiently qualified to comment.

When asked what lessons could be learned from the current race, he became more specific. He said there was still a lack of driving experience, and that in addition to technical skill, the necessary determination was also needed at the start. Nevertheless, he set a clear order: safety comes first, then enjoyment.

He also had some rather down-to-earth advice for amateur riders. Training with professional providers, experienced riders in one's own circle, and above all, as much time as possible on the motorcycle were, in his view, the most sensible way to improve one's skills.

Big marketing messages look different.

And then it was over.

For much of the Q&A session, Zhang seemed uninterested in turning every question into a lengthy PR response. When asked what had changed at the Chinese Grand Prix compared to the previous year, he simply replied: nothingHe also had no suggestions for improvement for the organizer – from his point of view, the race was already well organized.

A question about whether his son's racing activities might have fulfilled a personal dream was too philosophical for him. He declined to answer it. Finally, the conversation turned to potential technical cooperation between Chinese manufacturers. Zhang explained that there had been no such exchange to date.

The final question then focused on the status of Chinese suppliers of fuels and lubricants for the motorcycles, which are now largely developed in China. There was no answer to that question.

Zhang thanked the journalists present and left the room.

This ended a Q&A session that had otherwise provided more information: ZXMOTO wants to bring the motorcycle up to World Championship level in MXGP in 2027, would like to sign a top rider, considers one or two podium finishes in the first year a realistic goal and is simultaneously investing in young Chinese riders.

The last point in particular goes far beyond the planned MXGP entry. ZXMOTO doesn't just want to bring a Chinese motorcycle to the World Championship.

In the long term, a Chinese driver should also be at the front.