“I’m so happy but there have been a lot of emotions today. I was a bit angry with the verdict this morning but to make the holeshot and lead the first moto was fantastic. I was almost crying on the last lap. There was so much emotion. It was really special. Crazy. In the second moto I was around sixth position and someone hit me and bent the gear shifter under the bike. I was stuck in second gear. I tried hard to get the bike into third but it was not possible, so I had to come into the pits. I still finished the moto. It was a bit of a shame because I was feeling so good today. Sometimes bad luck happens though. The important thing is that we achieved our goal. I want to say a big thanks to the whole team and everybody who worked together to make this happen. It was tiring to have a lot of races so close together and also keep the concentration through the training. I think we did it pretty good.”

“Tom showed his potential in his first year with us in 2019. There was real progression but then over the winter he made another big step to be a title contender and world champion. He didn’t look back. He doesn’t get nervous. He had real competition, but Tom finished every race in a good spot, mainly in the top five, mostly in the top three. That’s the key to being world champion and now we are here celebrating. Hats-off to him and the family, unbelievable. We are known for having a fast 250 – also a 450! – but I still think we have the benchmark in MX2 for everybody and Tom is another rider who knows how to make starts with it. It’s a really good motorcycle and we’ve been winning since 2004 with that concept. Tom being the ninth world champion shows its quality.”

“It’s been fantastic to see Tom grow with the team over the past two years and ultimately win the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship; his maturity and approach to what has been a season of challenges with a lot of uncertainty has really paid off. Despite the natural pressure he had personally to step up again after his results last year, Tom has kept calm to make it happen week by week and our KTM 250 SX-F is proven once again. I wish Tom and his family huge congratulations for this incredible achievement, as we share this special moment together. I would like to congratulate Joel, Dirk and the entire Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team for their fantastic work with Tom to help nurture his talent and unlock his potential. To take a victory is never easy at this level, and we know 2020 has been a big challenge for everyone with a different type of intensity – but we are proud to have come through and to be celebrating this championship win.”