WSX CHAMP: MAX ANSTIE

Straight out of Newbury, England, Max Anstie totally dominated the 2025 FIM World Supercross Championship on his way to nailing down the SX2 Championship. Lining for the for the globetrotting series on the No.99 Team GSM powered by Star Racing Yamaha YZ250F, the 32-year-old Englishman ran roughshod over the SX2 classification. Anstie now hopes and plans to use the fortified speed and competitiveness he displayed along the way in the five-round global series – which touched down in Argentina, Canada, Australia, Sweden and South Africa – in the rapidly approaching 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.

“It’s not official, but I kind of got told – between the lines – that it’ll be me and [Haiden] Deegan doing the West Region Supercross Championship in 2026. I’m hoping that it stays that way, but… it can change right up to the last minute!”

“It’s not official – but I kind of got told between the lines – that it’ll be me and [Haiden] Deegan doing the West Region Supercross Championship in 2026,” explained Anstie, who actually won the opening round of the 2025 250SX East Region Supercross Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. “I’m hoping that it stays that way, but you know how it is with these teams… it can change right up to the last minute. But no, it would make sense obviously. From racing the World Supercross Championship these last few weeks and then coming hot off of that, it would make sense for me to keep racing, I think. I definitely think coming off of that championship would be perfect preparation for 2026. I’d rather not wait; I’d rather keep going and keep riding.”

“The collaboration with Star and the Team GSM was excellent. They allowed me to integrate into their team, but with my full Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing set-up.”

Anstie went on to address why he felt the 2025 World Supercross Championship all came together and fell so successfully into place for him.

“Coming back from the injury, I took my time. I was a bit rusty for SMX. I had to blow the cobwebs out. But by the time we rolled around to the World Supercross Championship, I was rolling, you know?”

“Well, I honestly think just coming off last year’s supercross season in the US, where I won a race and ran strong at the beginning of the season, I knew that I had a good base. Then I obviously didn’t get the whole way through the season. I crashed at Birmingham and suffered a broken fibula. I got injured, but I knew that I was in a good spot. Coming back from the injury, I took my time. I raced SMX. I was a bit rusty for SMX. I had to blow the cobwebs out. But by the time we rolled around to the World Supercross Championship, I was rolling, you know? I was in a good spot. The bike was feeling great. I updated a couple things and a couple of settings from where I was in supercross. I just knew it all. I knew the bike. Me and my mechanic were in a good spot. Yeah, it all just came at a good time. And at a number of the rounds, we had other riders from Star Yamaha there. Haiden Deegan raced a couple of them and so did Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper. It was a really cool vibe and cool to have the guys there. We just executed and I did my job, and we were able to put ourselves in a position to be successful in a solid five races in six weeks. We did a lot of travelling. It was some miles, man! We were all over the place. We went from Australia to Sweden to Cape Town, week to week to week. It was pretty intense. But overall, I think we were just rolling; we were in a good spot. Obviously, the bike was solid. And the team is great. Just to be able to race it for the collaboration with Star and the Team GSM was excellent. They allowed me to integrate into their team, but with my full Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing set-up. It was all pretty impressive. It was good. We were in an awesome spot. I’m feeling good. I’m ready to keep this thing rolling into 2026.”

“From racing the World Supercross Championship these last few weeks and then coming hot off of that, it would make sense for me to keep racing, I think.”

And Anstie is full-on committed to keeping the critical mass surging in the upcoming 2026 AMA 250SX West Region Supercross Championship.

“I’ve raced the East the last few years and I love the East Coast. We live on the East Coast. But West is still West, you know? Anaheim is Anaheim.”

“Yeah, I think it makes sense. I want to be in the West Region,” answered the son of former MXGP Grand Prix pilot Mervyn Anstie. “I’ve raced the East the last few years and I love the East Coast. We live on the East Coast. But West is still West, you know? Anaheim is Anaheim. It’s been a while since I’ve lined up at Anaheim on a 250, that’s for sure. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back in that stadium. Yeah, my plan is to do West, but again, it’s not all up to me. The team and Bobby Regan and Gareth Swanepoel will make the call. You’ve seen how it goes. It can change right up until the last minute. But of course, the plan is to do the West Region. We had the Red Plate last year and now the goal this year is to get it and keep it! [laughter].  That’s the plan! Yeah, I definitely know that we are in a good spot. The bike is solid. I’ve got a few more weeks now to upgrade my last little bits and fine-tune everything and do a little more testing if we need to and, yeah, get ready to do some US gate drops.”

And it’s been so far, so good as far as Max Anstie’s 2026 pre-season preparation; in terms of getting both himself and his motorcycle whipped into championship-fighting trim.

“It’s been awesome,” explained Anstie enthusiastically. “Honestly, and I know it is cliché, but doing this World Supercross Championship and having this time to really fine-tune things put myself in a good position physically and mentally. And just with the testing of the bike. Knowing that my things are solid, and that we are right there. Yeah, it’s been great to run through it all during the WSX.

“I’ve also been able to take my wife and little guy to Australia and Cape Town and to these awesome places. We’ve been doing fun stuff. It was great to get to experience these different countries and go racing over there.”

“I’ve also been able to take my wife and little guy to Australia and Cape Town and to these awesome places. We’ve been doing fun stuff. Like my little guy, he came out in opening ceremonies with me this last weekend. Man, that was cool. It was great to get to experience these different countries and go racing over there. I was able to do it with the family. It was more chilled and relaxed than the US stuff. There was a bit more time. Yeah, it has been good. I’m in a really good spot and just pleased at this point in my career that it is even a possibility with this World Supercross Championship. It’s great to have the opportunity to do this. It wasn’t around few years ago, so it’s cool at this point in my career to be able to do that and to have an off-season like we have and to keep it rolling into next year’s AMA Supercross season. Yeah, it’s been awesome.”

In recent interviews throughout the global supercross media community, Anstie communicated: “Hey, supercross is such a dream and it took me a long time to get to this spot and I feel like I’m in a really solid spot in my career now.”

When asked if that is, in fact, how he is feeling, Anstie was quick to reply.

“Yep. Yep. Exactly. When I was a kid, supercross felt like the ultimate place to be. You wanted to be in America. We didn’t have Instagram and stuff back then. It was magazines and Racer X. When I was in the UK, it was Moto Magazine and Dirt Bike Rider and I wished I was able to be there in America and to do that. And eventually I got the opportunity to be where I’m at right now and on the best 250 team in the pits and to have the opportunity to fight for titles and to fight for championships and to fight for wins and to train and race with the best guys in the world. I feel good, I’m happy, and my body is good. I’m solid and I’m strong and able to keep this going. I feel like I’m progressing, and now in a spot where I’m just getting to my best self.”