Tim Gajser Interview
By Alex Hodgkinson on 28th Oct 15
Tim Gajser, the 19-year-old Slovenian whos worked his way through the ranks, finally ended Hondas 15-year world title drought last month when he sensationally clinched the MX2 crown at Glen Helen after a season featuring five GP wins but also a couple of rocky rides which saw him banned from three starts. TMX GP reporter Alex Hodgkinson talked to the new champ...
TMX: Were you expecting to win the title at the start of the year?
TIM GAJSER: No way. The expectations were not so high at the start of the year.
I had ambitions and targets because I had some podiums and I won the last moto of 2014 in Mexico so, okay, I really wanted to aim for top three but not the title.
But now I am so happy, not just for myself but for HRC, the Gariboldi team and my family.
The team has worked so hard and my brother has trained with me and now the hard work has paid off.
TMX: How intense was the HRC involvement in Gariboldi this year?
TG: HRC started to become involved with the team last year and they have stepped it up this year.
Sure, when HRC became involved in MX2 for the first time last year our bike was not on the same level as the other leading brands.
But we improved the bike a lot last winter and we are still progressing.
We have never stopped testing and the Japanese technicians are continually bringing something new and every time it is a further improvement.
TMX: It seems as though HRC increased their interest when they saw what you could achieve.
TG: Yes, it was huge to see the extent to which HRC have increased their support and interest in recognition of what we have achieved.
And it gives me great confidence for next year.
We will have a new engine and I am sure that will be even better.
TMX: After the overseas tour at the start of the year you were only seventh in the points.
TG: Yes, the season almost got off to a false start in Qatar when I nearly missed the first training because we had problems with the visa.
Then I was not allowed to start the second race in Thailand because of the heat and in Matterley Basin I couldn't start in either race because of the concussion I suffered in warm-up.
We already thought that it was over but, like you see, that is motocross. So much can happen over a season and you must never give up hope, just keep working even harder.
It is really hard when you are not allowed to start and have to watch the other guys scoring points but you can also take something positive out of it and give yourself even more motivation to succeed.
TMX: Your win in the first GP in Europe at Arco was sensational, beating Herlings straight up.
TG: Yes, Arco was huge. We didn't expect that and to beat Jeffrey straight up was special.
I like the track, I already had third there in 2014 and this is the ground I really like - hard-pack and stony. I made two solid starts and that was the key because they put down so much water and there was just one perfect line.
It was like ice when they put down the water so it was not so easy to pass but I didn't make mistakes.
TMX: You were brought down to earth, or rather water, one week later at Valkenswaard.
TG: Yes, I went flying and swimming. In one week I went straight from my best GP to my worst.
But that's sport - it can happen to anyone. You have to face up to the fact that there will be both downs and ups in any career and accept the bad ones with the good ones.
TMX: And mid-summer you won three in a row.
TG: I had a couple of pretty bad weekends between Arco and Maggiora but in France I was feeling comfortable on the bike again.
Maggiora was really muddy, tough conditions but I won overall and then followed it up with Teutschenthal and Uddevalla.
TMX: You used to be the wild boy but you have calmed it down a little as the year progressed.
TG: Yes, I have an aggressive riding style. I like to scrub, to whip, to rail the berms, riding high rpm.
But I think Arco already proved that I can control my aggression because it is very important there.
I think I pushed myself too much at the start of the year to compensate for the problems which we encountered.
The pressure was not coming from outside but from myself.
But then there became a point where I said to myself ‘just go out there, have fun, enjoy what you are doing and stay calm'.
TMX: Your win at Assen was the key...
TG: You know, we trained quite a lot in sand this winter and I had long discussions with my father how to ride sand because it is a completely different technique. And it paid off.
We had three races in sand in August. Lommel was so-so but then I took a podium in Mantova and won Assen.
I have to admit that I surprised myself but I think my fitness was the key.
I am prepared really well and I have a good teacher in my dad.
Thirty minutes in the sand was no problem for me, I could run the same pace to the end of the race and that was the key.
I was still only seventh 10 minutes from the end of the first moto and I passed everybody to win.
The entire team was not expecting too much from Assen and I didn't even train in sand during the week - I went home to Slovenia and practised on a supercross track !
TMX: You seemed to handle the pressure best when it counted.
TG: It is easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself when everybody expects you to win but that pressure is not there when you are not the favourite.
You can just go there, ride what you can and take as many points as possible.
After Jeffrey's domination in the years before, many people don't realise how many good riders there are in MX2.
There are five or six of us that can win any race and a lot now depends on the start.
There are so many of us riding the same pace and it is difficult to pass.
TMX: You have come through the ranks of the pyramid built by Youthstream.
TG: The system we have now at the GPs is really good. In 65cc and 85cc we ride two-strokes and I think it is really important to continue one year in 125cc to develop your riding skills, racing the European championship and then move on to the 250s.
TMX: I guess you got into the sport through your dad?
TG: Yes, both me and my brother got into the sport through my dad.
My brother Nejc still races back home in Slovenia but he prefers preparing the bike.
The whole family rides. My dad still rides the vets, my eight-year-old sister is also riding and even my mom rides a scooter now and she has already said that she wants to ride a motocross bike. We are truly a motocross family.
TMX: Back in the 125cc days we were always relieved that the ancient family motorhome even got to to the race.
TG: We are not a rich family but if you work hard, chasing the dream, it will pay off in the end.
We have lived for motocross for years and now we are living the dreams.
Every beginning is tough, nothing dropped from the sky. My dad was a pretty good rider but his parents could not offer him the possibility to be even better.
Motocross is not on such a high level in Slovenia and my family and myself came from nothing to something.
TMX: You grew up as part of the KTM youth programme. What happened that you have ended up on Honda?
TG: The decision to separate from KTM at the end of 2013 was coming from our side. We were not happy because we were having a problem with the bike every race.
Something was happening every week - one week the motor, the next week something else and we were not happy.
We were supposed to win the European 250 title on the back of the 125 but after a couple of races it was clear that we could not take the title so we decided to switch to the GPs and gain experience. At the end of 2013 Honda came and talked to us.
It was tough for all of us to make the change, not just me but the whole family because I had ridden KTM all my career except for 2009 when I was European 85cc champion on Suzuki.
But those breakages were bad for me mentally. You lose confidence.
Now I am really pleased to be part of Honda and pleased that they picked me. Being an HRC rider is a big thing and they have shown their confidence in me to already give me a contract to 2020.
TMX: It seems like you are predestined to be the HRC icon of the 21st Century.
TG: Yeah, you'll have to ask them that [smiles]. The feeling is so good to know that the whole of HRC is behind you and want to succeeed with you.
TMX: Even before you were headed for the world title you had said that you are looking to move up to MXGP in 2017.
TG: Yes. I am 178cm and 76kg. If I'm honest I enjoy riding a 450 more than a 250.
I always train on a 450 except when we go testing and I race in Slovenia and the ADAC in Germany on a 450.
All through my career my father has always put me to train on the next-size bigger bike.
Even when I was racing 65cc, I would train on an 85cc, already when I was 10 years old and really small. I guess the system has worked.
TMX: Jeffrey Herlings and Max Anstie will join you to move up to MXGP and Romain Febvre has already taken command. Is this a generation change?
TG: I think the new generation is coming and the competition will be really tight. There are many good riders and that makes it even more interesting for the spectators and also for us.
TMX: Thanks, Tim, have a good winter and come out fighting in 2016.
