The fourth instalment of the World Supercross Championship (WSX) has made headlines in recent weeks, with three rounds so far having showcased what is a largely upgraded product since its inception and the seasons that have followed. In this Q&A Feature, MotoOnline takes a closer look at how the 2025 edition is developing both on the track and behind closed doors.

Image: Supplied.

Q: What can we take from the opening three rounds of season 2025?

A: What we can take is that – across the board – things are improving for WSX. The racing and rider performances can be analyzed, but we’ll do that later in this feature, with attention instead on World Supercross as a product in its fourth term. The fact that the organization is only in its fourth year is kind of bizarre, and that’s thanks to the headlines that have characterized its existence since it explosively arrived on the scene in late 2021. It has been a colorful history since then, however, in 2025, it finally feels like the train is on a track, with clear objectives and positioning established within the wider supercross ecosphere. Formats, team structure and parameters, digital presence, and identity are starting to form, emerging from a swirl of uncertainty and, honestly, unmet deliverables. The most exciting part comes from the new ownership group, with CEO of the series Tom Burwell taking a fairly measured approach, aware of the history as well as what’s required to push the championship forward. The caliber of competition has risen, as well as the overall uniformity, which means that a key takeaway is that we can now see a pipeline where the series exists – and thrives – alongside what racing is already out there.

Q: Is the series actually different from previous years beyond the branding?

A: To follow on from the previous point, yes. In our recent interview with Burwell, he explained how the overall event needed tightening, with the balance between racing and entertainment being out of sync. And that’s true, as the early WSX events even featured musical acts from high-profile performers – which, in a way, was cool – although, the fact that they were kind of wedged into the program somewhere created disjointment. Traditionalists will always want to see good, legitimate racing, because that is fundamentally what the sport of supercross is built upon. But, there is the entertainment factor that exists to draw in more fringe, otherwise non-supercross fans who are there for the vibe, as is certainly the case in Formula 1. That needs to be done right, though, and by focusing on the fundamental product first, it seems that the rest can be tweaked at a later date, which is one of WSX’s current objectives.

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Q: What is the actual story with Ken Roczen exiting while holding the SX1 red plate?

A: This one was confusing for a few reasons, with the main one being that Roczen had a previous agreement with the series executed in 2023 that was to see him through the end of the 2025 season. A complete overhaul happened with WSX since then, and ultimately that deal was withdrawn this year by all indications – meaning Roczen was effectively a wildcard for the first three events, although his points do contribute to Pipes Motorsport Group’s (PMG) overall team tally. He has been the rider to beat in SX1 this year, holding a 27-point advantage over Christian Craig in the standings. Before the Australian GP, PMG were probably sleeping a little easier with Anderson as the perfect wingman to take Roczen’s place atop the standings, and to help deliver the Dustin Pipes-led organization the 2025 title. But, the number 21 had a horror night on the Gold Coast, and is now 18 points off Craig, which puts their chances at this year’s championship in real jeopardy.

Q: Will the newfound wildcard/Roczen structure legitimize the world championship?

A: Absolutely. There isn’t a lot of legitimacy in all three of the former world championship SX1 seasons, and that’s no disrespect to anyone involved, but the series itself heavily funded both Eli Tomac (2024) and Ken Roczen (2022/2023), who were already on certain machines. As a result, they were each placed at a team that could facilitate their deals. And anyone knows, if you have a caliber rider of Tomac or Roczen on your team – against a field not at the level of the full SMX roster – then you may as well have Superman or Batman in your line-up. This was never a viable, long-term strategy (if the world championship was indeed to be a legitimate crown), but was also an important step to get eyeballs on the series. The wildcard structure that is in place now, along with the tiered rider system where WSX will financially contribute if a team can acquire a certain level of rider, seems like it could be a solution that solves the aforementioned scenario, while also encouraging teams to pursue the best of the best, knowing that if they can, then WSX will help out in the short-term future. To us, it’s unclear how riders are valued under this model, although it is something that all teams seem aware of under the Geneva Agreement.

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Q: Can you learn anything from this series in the lead-up to Anaheim 1?

A: Yes and no. Do we think this is the best version of Jason Anderson we’ll see? No. Do we think that Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Eli Tomac have some work to do in the whoops and on a dry, hard-packed surface? Yes. It’s hard to know how the top-level of riders value races like these – is it the perfect time to test setups that you wouldn’t otherwise try at say, Anaheim 1? The answer is likely yes, too. Side note, does Malcolm Stewart’s Paris SX1 win mean he’ll be legitimately battling the likes of Jett Lawrence, Chase Sexton, and Cooper Webb for the 450SX Monster Energy Supercross Championship this year? We would also say likely not. Anyway, Roczen is super-fast as usual, Craig looks much improved on the Quad Lock Honda, and Joey Savatgy really needs to win this SX1 championship, as he has played second-fiddle in WSX way too many times now. Plus, we think Shane McElrath needs to step up to the 450 full-time, Max Anstie is working everyone onboard his Star Racing-prepared YZ250F, and Haiden Deegan appears set to continue his antagonism into the premier class, as shown by his Australian GP antics.

Q: Should we be hyping Max Anstie’s ‘perfect season’ across a five-round series?

A: Sure! That’s a strong achievement, against a solid group of riders which includes last year’s SX2 world champion in McElrath. Weirdly, there is an impromptu rivalry brewing here, as McElrath won the SX2 title in 2022, Anstie triumphed in 2023, and then it was again McElrath in 2024. It now appears it’ll return to the Anstie camp for 2025, which will have them at two apiece. It’s probably something they’re not overly aware of, but an interesting development anyway. Back to Max and his perfect season, it’s not a massive surprise because he was superb during Monster Energy Supercross this year, before he broke his leg in Birmingham. He was the rider to beat in the 250SX East class, and his WSX form further shows that he is on a mission. If you wanted to take anything from this run into SMX for 2026, it’s that the Briton is out to claim an American Supercross title that he certainly believes belongs to him. So yes, anytime a rider can achieve such a feat as perfection – especially with the inherent variables of supercross – kudos to them.