Gariboldi Honda rider Tim Gajser is sure on a roll. He picked up his fourth GP victory of the season last weekend in Latvia, and his ninth in his career. At the moment he has taken over as the fastest rider in the class, and it doesn’t look good for his rivals as he continues to build momentum.
He will head into Germany next weekend and Italy a week later with the MXGP red plate as his goal. Let’s remember the HRC backed rider won his first ever GP win 2015 at the Trento circuit, and hard pack is something he enjoys a lot.
We caught up with this really nice kid, and found out that he has some pretty big plans for this season. A trip to USA in October and possible even earlier.
Tim, incredible performance to come back from being down in 23rd place in that second moto to win the Grand Prix. However, those early laps after the crash you look like you were riding wild. How did it feel?
It was like that; it is always like that. When you crash you want to go as fast as possible to pick up the places, you take so many risks and in that first lap after crashing, I make so many mistakes. I could have crashed three times I think, then I told myself to calm down, breathe a little bit and find some new lines. After two laps I started riding better, but for sure when you crash it is tough to regroup straight away. You want so much to get ahead.
You were a little lucky in the crash, because Max (Nagl) came very close to hitting you pretty hard.
It was big (the crash) and thankfully I walked away okay. I went over the handlebars and hit the ground and I was laying down across the track and I looked up and I saw Nagl jumping over my bike and he was coming straight for me. Fortunately, he didn’t hit me too bad.
I noticed at one point you nearly took Tommy Searle off the track on a jump and then nearly ran into the back of Shaun Simpson.
I was going crazy. I knew I was back in the pack and I tried to pass as many riders as possible and I took risks, when I passed Tommy (Searle), also with Simpson it was close, but you know sometimes you go like that. I was watching that Romain was first and I was 20 something and you want to give your best and do what you can do.
When you stood up after the crash, could you ever have imagined that you would get up to fourth place?
I didn’t expect to get up so many places. I saw Nagl ahead of me, and when I came over the back part of the track I could see Febvre was already crossing the finish line, and I just pushed harder and harder, until the end and it worked out for me. I passed Max on the last lap for the GP win. I didn’t know that I won, because they always put up Nagl, Nagl, some many seconds ahead of me, but I didn’t know what they meant. I am glad we got the win, it was a hell of a good race I think.
Watching you ride, it’s just beautiful, it is a bit like watching Stefan Everts ride, because you look so comfortable on the bike, such a clean style. Did you feel that as soon as you got on the 450?
I knew in 2013 when I got on the 450 for practice. When I was in the MX2 class my dad told me to practice on the 450 and he is my trainer, and knows what I need. I never practiced on the 250, and from that time I knew I was better on the 450. I feel better on the bigger bike, with more power. On the 250 you have to push the bike really hard and it’s fun to ride, but it is hard work. On the 450 it is more enjoyable.
Jeffrey Herlings was two seconds a lap quicker than the MXGP guys (from both moto’s) and four seconds a lap quicker than the Mx2 riders. I was speaking to him before and he mentioned he has started riding the 450 and is three seconds a lap quicker on the bigger bike. That’s pretty scary.
For sure, he will be fast, he is already fast on the 250 bike and when you get on a 450 you are even faster. I am looking forward to him coming.
You have spoken about possibly racing in America in the future. If you won the title this year, would it be possible you go to America in 2017?
It is early in the season, right now we cannot speak about that. Just six races, and 12 to go, a long season, long series, so we are not thinking about that. It isn’t decided yet and many people say I am going to America, but that is not true. I can say if everything goes to plan, then we will do the Monster Cup in October. If everything works out how we plan it.
What about a National in America in 2016?
Actually I want to do it. I haven’t looked at the calendar, but we will see (he said with a big smile on his face).
