Ben Watson believes experience, familiarity, and a track that should suit the British riders can give the Auto-Cycle Union’s TeamGB squad a strong platform when the Motocross of Nations gets underway at Ernée in France this weekend (3-4 October).
Watson will line up in the Open category alongside Taylor Hammal in MX1 and Ben Mustoe in MX2 as Great Britain go wheel-to-wheel with the world’s other leading motocross nations at one of the biggest events of the season.
For Watson, the pressure and intensity of the Nations are very familiar. The 29-year-old first represented TeamGB in 2018 and produced one of his standout performances at Mantova in Italy three years later as he won the MXGP class.
He also knows Ernée well, having raced at the French circuit several times, including at the 2023 Motocross of Nations.
“The Nations is obviously a massive race, but when I go there it feels a lot like another Grands Prix,” Watson explained. “I think being comfortable in that atmosphere is a benefit because it enables you to settle quickly and race without distraction.
“It’s always a pleasure to be selected by the ACU for TeamGB and I’ll go to Ernée, do my best, and try to put the lowest points possible on the board for the team and our federation.”
Watson travels to Northern France in a confident mood after finishing runner-up in this year’s MXGB MX1 class. Although the title was the target, his pace across the season on his Dirt Store Triumph Racing machine has given him reason to be optimistic this weekend.
The Ernée track could also play to TeamGB’s strengths. Its tight and technical nature is closer to the type of circuits the riders regularly encounter at home, rather than some of the faster tracks on the international calendar.
“Taylor (Hammal) is a really good hard-pack rider and so is Ben (Mustoe),” Watson said. “I’ve got a lot of experience there and I’ve had some good results. It’s tight and it will get rutted, so as a team I think it’s a good track for us.”
The challenge remains significant. Hammal and Mustoe will make their Motocross of Nations debuts against a field packed with Grand Prix and international talent. TeamGB finished 16th overall in 2025, while its history includes a quartet of third-place finishes between 2017 and 2021.
Team Manager Mark Chamberlain is clear this weekend is about delivering strong individual performances and giving the team a platform to build from.
“If we’re realistic, a top-10 finish would be good because there are so many strong teams at Ernée,” he said. “There’s no expectation on the boys other than to give their best, enjoy the weekend and be proud to represent their country and the ACU.
“The result isn’t the only measure for us this year. We want to look at the level of performance from each rider, see them work together as a team and then use what we learn to move forward.”
That approach shaped this year’s selection, with greater emphasis placed on riders who had committed to international competition during the season.
TeamGB’s pre-Motocross of Nations preparation has been based in the UK this year, with the Foxhills and Mill Lane MX tracks being used for pre-event testing and teambuilding.