Motocross World Championship

The Motocross World Championship is a worldwide motocross series sanctioned by the F.I.M.. It was inaugurated in 1957 using a 500 cc engine displacement formula. In 1962 a 250cc class was added and in 1975, a 125cc class was introduced. Prior to 1957, the championship was known as the European Championship.

In 2002, the F.I.M. changed the displacement formulas to reflect the changes in engine technology and as a move towards environmentally friendlier four-stroke engines. The new MX1 class became the premier class, allowing two-stroke engines of up to 250cc and four-stroke engines of up to 450cc. The MX2 class allowed two-stroke engines of up to 125cc and four-stroke motors of up to 250cc. The MX3 class allowed two-stroke engines of up to 500cc and four stroke engines of up to 650cc.