Benoît Paturel Bio
Benoît Paturel (born 7 December 1994) is a French professional motocross racer. Paturel is best known for his long career in the FIM Motocross World Championship, where he competed in both the MX2 and MXGP classes, and for being part of the French team that won the 2016 Motocross des Nations. After more than a decade racing in Europe, he made the move to the American AMA National Motocross Championship in 2025, signing with the Twisted Tea Suzuki team.
Early Life and Background
Benoît Paturel was born on 7 December 1994 in Lyon, France. Growing up in France placed him in the heart of European motocross culture, a region that has produced generations of successful off-road racers. From an early age, Paturel was drawn to two-wheel competition, building the foundation that would later carry him onto the international stage.
As a young rider, Paturel developed his skills through the French motocross system, working his way up the national and European ranks. His progress through the junior categories earned him a reputation as a talented prospect, and he soon attracted attention from professional teams ready to give him a chance in the senior ranks.
Path to Motocross
Paturel joined the BUD Racing Kawasaki team for the 2012 season to move up to a 250 machine for the first time. A mid-season injury limited his time in the EMX250 championship, but he still managed to finish second overall at the final round, an early sign of the speed that would define his career.
In 2015, Paturel was signed by the Kemea squad, which at that time served as Yamaha’s factory team in the MX2 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship. He ran his first full MX2 season that year and produced consistent top-ten results, highlighted by a third overall podium at the Mexican Grand Prix. His strong debut led to a contract extension, setting the stage for his most successful years.
Benoît Paturel Career
MX2 Breakthrough (2015-2017)
The 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship was Paturel’s breakthrough year in the MX2 class. He finished third in the final standings, his highest result in the category, and earned three overall podiums, including a pair of second overalls in Spain and his native France. His strong form also earned him a late call-up to the French team for the 2016 Motocross des Nations, where he helped France win the event by a single point.
Paturel continued his rise in 2017, opening the season with a second overall at the first round. He secured his first world championship race win in front of his home French fans and then added a second race win at the Swiss round, which also delivered his first overall Grand Prix victory. A lacerated liver sustained in training forced him to miss the final three rounds, leaving him fifth in the final standings.
MXGP Era (2018-2024)
Due to the under-23 age rule in MX2, Paturel moved up to the MXGP class for the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship. After initially signing with the BOS KTM team, he switched to the Marchetti KTM team mid-season, but a back injury and illness limited him to seven rounds and forty points.
In 2019, Paturel joined the Gebben Van Venrooy Kawasaki team. Knee issues at the Latvian round and a later diagnosis of Epstein Barr cut his season short, but he still managed to record his first top-ten race finish in the MXGP class. He moved to the JM Honda team for the 2020 season, where back fractures again interrupted his year, before transferring to the Honda SR Motoblouz team for 2021. That season brought more injury trouble, but he returned in the second half to post several top-ten finishes, including a sixth in race two at the first Trentino round. He also represented France at the 2021 Motocross des Nations, helping the team to fifth overall.
Paturel remained with the SR Motoblouz team for 2022, another injury-hit year that ended with a twenty-sixth-place ranking. In 2023, he signed with the new De Baets Yamaha MX Team, and the return to Yamaha produced his best MXGP season, with multiple top-ten finishes and an eleventh-place championship result. He stayed with the De Baets squad for 2024, finishing sixteenth overall with three top-ten results before injury caused him to miss the final rounds. When the De Baets team withdrew from MXGP ahead of 2025, Paturel was left without a ride.
Twisted Tea Suzuki Era (2025-Present)
Determined to keep racing, Paturel decided to travel to California with the goal of catching the eye of an American team. The plan worked, and he signed with the Twisted Tea Suzuki team for the 2025 AMA National Motocross Championship. He opened the season with a tenth overall at the first round and finished the year in fifteenth in the final standings, completing a successful transition to American competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
Paturel is known for his smooth, consistent riding style and his ability to grind out top-ten results over a long season. His time on both Yamaha and KTM machinery has given him broad technical experience, and his best moments have come on European hard-pack tracks, where his race craft and rhythm allow him to challenge at the front.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his career highlights, Paturel’s first MX2 race win at the 2017 French Grand Prix and his overall victory at the Swiss round stand out, as does his role in France’s narrow 2016 Motocross des Nations triumph. His move to the AMA ranks with Twisted Tea Suzuki in 2025 marks another milestone in a career built on persistence.
Benoît Paturel Career Wins
Across his career, Paturel has built a record that includes MX2 race wins, overall Grand Prix victories, and team success at the Motocross des Nations. While his move to the MXGP class was slowed by repeated injuries, he has continued to add solid results to his résumé, including his 2025 season in the AMA National Motocross Championship.
MX2 Highlights
Paturel’s MX2 class results include three overall podiums in 2016, highlighted by back-to-back seconds in Spain and France, and a third overall at the Mexican Grand Prix in 2015. In 2017, he won his first world championship race at the French Grand Prix and followed it with a second race win and his first overall Grand Prix victory at the Swiss round.
Other Wins and Performances
Paturel was a member of the French team that won the 2016 Motocross des Nations by a single point after a late call-up. He has also competed in the French Elite Motocross Championship and, in 2025, completed his first full AMA National Motocross Championship season with the Twisted Tea Suzuki team.
Benoît Paturel Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Paturel’s immediate family is limited. His background growing up in Lyon, France, placed him within a strong national motocross tradition, and his rise through the French and European ranks reflects that environment.
Personal Life
Details about Paturel’s personal life outside of motocross are not widely documented. His career decisions, including his 2025 move from the FIM Motocross World Championship to the American AMA National Motocross Championship, show a clear commitment to continuing his professional racing career at the highest level available.
2025 Season Performance
Paturel’s 2025 campaign marked a major chapter in his career, as he transitioned from the FIM Motocross World Championship to the American AMA National Motocross Championship. After the De Baets Yamaha MX Team pulled out of MXGP ahead of the season, he was left without a ride and chose to travel to California to pursue a new opportunity.
That opportunity came with the Twisted Tea Suzuki team, where he joined a competitive American effort aboard Suzuki machinery. Paturel opened the season with a strong tenth overall at the first round, signaling that he could adapt quickly to the faster, more demanding style of AMA racing.
He closed the 2025 AMA National Motocross Championship in fifteenth in the final standings, a solid result for a rider adjusting to a new series, a new country, and a new team. With a full year of American racing now complete, Paturel is well positioned to build on his 2025 results and aim for a more competitive showing in 2026.