Team Maddii Honda-ABF Italia kicked off the 2026 racing season at the Internazionali d’Italia, held on Sunday, February 1, on the scenic sandy track of Alghero, Sardinia. The opening round of the series was an important first test against high-level competitors, on a technical track that was particularly demanding from a physical standpoint.
It was an intense weekend, useful for breaking the ice and gathering valuable feedback ahead of the upcoming rounds, with the team continuing the development work that began over the winter.
Niccolò Alvisi and Elias Escandell did not take part in the race, as both are still recovering from their respective injuries. In agreement with the medical staff, the team chose a cautious approach, avoiding unnecessary risks to allow the two riders to return to the track only once they have fully regained their physical condition.
In the MX2 class, Marc-Antonie Rossi and Niccolò Mannini were on track, facing a challenging weekend.
Marc-Antonie Rossi showed promising signs already in qualifying, finishing with the 11th fastest time. In Race 1, he was unfortunately forced to retire due to a technical issue while trying to move up through the field. In the second moto, he gritted his teeth and brought the bike home in 16th position, collecting useful data and rhythm on a very demanding track.
A more complicated weekend for Niccolò Mannini, who set the 13th fastest time in practice. In the races, he struggled to find consistency: he finished 26th in Race 1 and 29th in Race 2, paying the price for several mistakes that prevented him from fully expressing his potential.
Team Maddii Honda-ABF Italia will now return to work immediately to best prepare for the next events, with the goal of taking another step forward both technically and in terms of overall consistency. They will be back in action next weekend in Mantova.
Marco Maddii – Team Manager:“It was a very difficult and demanding weekend. The track conditions we faced were quite extreme and, honestly, it was an even tougher race than we expected. Still, it helped us a lot to learn. We definitely understood some important things that led us to make different technical choices for the second moto, which turned out to be better. So this race on such soft and heavy terrain for the bikes was certainly useful for the future, even though we struggled a lot today. Now we have this week to work. In Mantova we definitely want to do better and show what we’re capable of. There’s still plenty of time before the European championship starts, so we’re confident we can do a good job moving forward.”
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