As HRC rider Tim Gajser continues to work hard and produce GP win after GP win and extend his championship lead his rivals can only look on and wonder how they can stop the series leader. Clearly the rider of 2019, we had to catch up with him after his victory.

You got a GP win, not a 1-1 like you so often get, but a win. How does this feel compared to your 6-1 in Latvia?

Let’s say in Latvia, I struggled, but here I didn’t struggle, I just made that mistake in the second moto.

 

What happened there?

I just went off the track, the rear tyre just went off the corner of the track and it was so dry. I tried to save it, but I couldn’t. I didn’t have a big crash, but anyway, I stalled the bike and I couldn’t join the race straight away, so anyway, I am happy.

If Tim can stay healthy, he can cruise into his 2nd world title.

Those big mistakes from earlier in the season are gone, as you mentioned this one was a small mistake, also in Latvia you just slipped over. Is that because of the confidence, or just something you have been working on?

I mean, like, on a track like this, and with the weather like it is, it is easy to make a mistake. That part of the track here is narrow, and when you went on the take-off, it was even more narrow, and you had to jump from right to left. The track was challenging this weekend and what I liked is they left it rough, they didn’t work between the motos and in the second moto you had a lot of line selection, and it was really good. On Saturday it was too flat, but Sunday I really liked.

 

What about when it started raining. Did that worry you, because it must have been really slippery?

The first moto, the last five minutes it started raining and the take-offs were really slick, but it was a solid moto and when it started raining it got better, only when it started raining hard, then it got slippery. I didn’t push too hard and was just trying to bring it home. I managed to do that in the first moto.

 

Speaking to Jorge, he was actually surprised that the conditions were not worse. How did you find it?

For me, honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Even coming from the first race, to the second race, it wasn’t too bad. You have to put the cold ice water on your head to cool down, but I was okay. I remember past years and mentally I was preparing for that. My preparation was good, after two years coming here my preparation was really good and that helps a lot, because you come in feeling confident you did enough to be okay, no matter how hot it got. The past two years I came here, I came here not 100% and when you come here not 100%, then you are thinking how you will do with the heat, so mentally its difficult. When you come in in a good condition, you can relax. It was also important to be really relaxed in the first moto. It was important to push at the beginning, make a good gap and then take it easy a little bit.

Tim has won 12 of the last 16 motos in MXGP and has a 161 point lead over his next closest healthy opponent

Jorge went for a swim and watched the MXGP race from there. Did you get a chance to go for a swim during the day?

No, actually, because we are always after MX2, before the race you go somewhere, where nobody is and it is difficult to go in the swimming pool before the race and we don’t have any classes after us, so that wasn’t possible for me.

 

You have extended you lead in the championship points over Tony, and also over Jeremy in third place. The bigger the lead gets the more fun you are having, I guess.

Yes, it is just unbelievable, I am so happy how the season is going. I have mentioned it many times, we had two years of struggle and I kept trying to work out how can I come out of those struggles. I was telling myself what I needed to change, and I had to change something. Mentally and physically and I am happy we found out how to do that and now we have a really good bike.

 

I can imagine the relationship with your girlfriend must be a big positive. I look at you two together and you look so happy with each other. You are really a beautiful looking couple and the longer you are together the more comfortable you get.

Yes, definitely. Spela is always there, she is like my right-hand person every day and also in the private life. At the races, during practice and every day and we know each other really well, I just have to look at her and she knows what I need. It is really positive I have her every day and I am very lucky to have such a girlfriend.

On the gas in Indonesia

So, what happens now between Palembang and Semarang?

We go to Bali for three days.

 

So, cocktails and parties (laughing)?

Hahaha, no, in fact I said to Spela when she was booking the trip, the villa has to have a gym. We will have some fun, I don’t drink, but it is nice to go to Bali yes.

Bavo Swijgers images

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