The following interview is courtesy of MXLarge.com.
Red Bull KTM factory rider Jeffrey Herlings is the greatest Grand Prix winner of all-time. While Stefan Everts remains the King of GP motocross with his 10 World titles and 101 GP wins, the numbers Herlings has put together to win 102 GP wins is just unbelievable. He is, in my opinion, the fastest rider to race our sport.
Last weekend in Spain, the fastest man on the planet was in beast mode as he dispatched series leader Jorge Prado and the rest of the MXGP contenders. We caught up with “The Bullet” and asked him about the weekend, the record and his crazy plan to race in America and Europe on the same weekend.
MXLarge: Jeffrey, before speaking about the racing weekend, let’s talk about your 102nd Grand Prix victory, to break Stefan’s record and make history.
Jeffrey Herlings: You know, he should also be thankful I have brittle bones, because otherwise I would have smashed his 10 championships as well. I will never reach that unfortunately. I am super happy to win the most moto wins and most Grand Prix wins. My goal is to win maybe one or two more world titles, then I will lay on the beach, I did enough.
It is amazing you break Stefan’s record after a year out and he broke Joel Roberts record after two years out. As far as Stefan, how old were you in 2006 when he won his 101st?
I was 12. Even when he started winning championships again after that time out, he is born in 1972, so he was older than I am now when he went on that final run of six world championships and I am not saying I will do that, but in 2006 he was like 34 or something. In his best years and won six in a row, he was like 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32. I mean, I won’t win six on a row, but you never know how many I can win. I still have a contract with KTM for ‘24 and ‘25, so I still have three shots to make it happen.
When you won in Valkenswaard back in 2010, you were just a little kid, could you have believed you would be able to pass the record of Stefan?
Back then I was happy with one win. To think about 102, no, never thought about that. You win a GP, or a championship and you think about the next one. Even at 50 GP wins I couldn’t think about breaking the record. Now I have it, I feel like an old man. These guys on the podium are like in their early 20s and I am nearly 30. Jorge [Prado] is 22, Mattia [Guadagnini] is 22 and how old are you Ruben [Fernandez, who answers 24]. I am the oldest guy in the room, not sure that is a positive thing.
You came into the season after a difficult year in 2022 and you are not yet 100 percent. Did you expect this to happen so quickly in 2023?
Honestly, not and I mean, the rest of the guys really stepped it up and Jorge is riding so well at the moment and that is why so many riders are getting injured, because of the level at the moment. It is a shame with Tim [Gajser] already being out and now Maxime [Renaux] and Romain [Febvre] this weekend. All these guys next to me, they are super-fast as well. It is anyone’s game on any particular Sunday, one day Jorge can win, one day me, one day Romain. It is a pity some of the heavy hitters are out. We will see what happens now, I didn’t expect to come back so quickly, and I have won three races out of six, to do it so quickly, I could never have imaged that. My starts are still not great, but getting better, top five average starts, so that is an improvement. Off to France in two weeks’ time. I heard they changed the track, and it isn’t one of my favorite circuits, but I always did pretty well there.
Tell us about your day?
First of all, I want to thank my competition, because we have all raced clean this year and we all have a lot of respect for each other. I have a lot of respect for all these guys up here. Every single guy on the racetrack and nobody is cleaning the other out. Today was good, first moto battling with Jorge, and we always have a clean battle and that is nice. I managed to work my way to the front. It wasn’t easy, because the track is mainly one lined, just one good line, so you really had to wait for a mistake or have a bit of luck to make the pass stick. Most of the time I am physically strong at the end, so I could make some passes. Same with the second moto, I saw the leader in front, and I could stay with him. I came from fifth and made some passes and then moved to the front and won easily. I enjoyed the crowd here today, whenever I could hear them, I knew either Jorge or Ruben were close and when it was quiet, I knew I was safe. The Spanish fans are good for their hero’s, but also for us.
You visited Maxime yesterday, giving him advice about his injury. Can you tell us why you did that?
I am like a doctor now, after so many injuries and I can look at an injury and pretty much know what it is. After so many injuries myself, I can tell what bone it is and what is the length of time being out. I saw his injury and knew what it was, and it was similar to my injury, I was shocked, same damage as mine. I don’t think he races again this year and I think it requires four to six months and he will have pain from that. I don’t want to talk too much about it and a shame for him, because he can do podiums and everyone in the sport gets their portion of injuries. Also, Tim, everyone called him the rubber guy because he never had injuries and now, he has one. I wish them all to be back as soon as possible, because injuries are not fun.
You miss battling with Tim?
No, I don’t, because now it is a bit easier now. He is a strong, fast guy and also fit at the end of the races. I don’t miss it, but I wish him to be back as soon as possible, because nobody wants a rider to get injured.
| Rider | Motos | Bike | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jeffrey Herlings |  | 1 - 1 | KTM |
| 2 |  Mattia Guadagnini |  | 3 - 3 | GasGas |
| 3 |  Ruben Fernandez |  | 5 - 2 | Honda |
| 4 |  Jorge Prado | | 2 - 5 | GasGas |
| 5 |  Glenn Coldenhoff | | 4 - 6 | Yamaha |
You continue to race every weekend, until your level is where you want it. Is your level now where you want it?
Yes, sure, but I love racing and I keep going. I am also thinking about doing some races in the USA. We have a busy schedule and let’s wait and see and get better here. Racing next weekend in England and then France, so yep, just keep racing.
You think breaking the record now, does it feel a little less than what you expected and maybe you will appreciate the record more when you have retired, and you just concentrate now on the sixth championship?
Yes, I guess so, I won today, but tomorrow, I am back on my bicycle and working hard for the next win. I won’t enjoy it as much and I guess that is how racing goes. In seven days, nobody thinks about this weekend. For sure, it’s been on my bucket list for a while and Stefan was one of the best ever. He had strong opponents, but I believe this era, with Tim, Tony [Antonio Cairoli], [Gautier] Paulin, all those guys, they were fast guys too. To fight with somebody like Tony, which was tough. Some people say I have all those MX2 wins, and it is worth less, bullshit!!!! Any GP win is tough, Stefan won in a bunch of classes, and you had three classes and he won multiple GPs. A GP win is difficult in any class and sure it’s a different era, but a GP win is a GP win.
How did you find the track, Jorge said it was very tough. Did you take any risk and were you in beast mode again?
I didn’t take any risk, because I don’t want to take myself out again, but I agree, the track was tough. I think most of the GP tracks are small for a 450 and we have a lot of power. We really need to control. I am glad they left it rough, and they made the best out of it.
What is this about wanting to race in America this month. The first round of the nationals?
Yes, it is. This morning I saw the supercross. I saw BamBam [Justin Barcia] was obviously injured, the Husky boys are injured, Malcolm [Stewart] and Christian [Craig], I don’t know what is up with [Arron] Plessinger, but Cooper [Webb] said he will not do the first few outdoors and I assume Marvin [Musquin] won’t do it either. I don’t even know if they have a rider and I thought maybe I could go and race. On [Monday] the 29th I have a Dutch championship race and I was checking flights this morning to see if I could get back on time, because I want to win the Dutch championship.
![Jeffrey Herlings]()
Jeffrey Herlings Images courtesy of KTM Images/Ray Archer ![Jeffrey Herlings]()
Jeffrey Herlings Images courtesy of KTM Images/Ray Archer
Would be pretty cool to win on both continents on the same weekend?
Yes, I have been racing since February every single weekend and I need to speak to KTM, because the bikes are different. For now, it’s just a wild, wild idea, because I haven’t even asked Pit [Beirer, Motorsports Director for the KTM] or Robert [Husqvarna Head of Motorsports, Off-Road] about anything like that, and they don’t know I am thinking about it. I mean, at least I want to do one event, because Southwick is also an event I always wanted to do. Since I was a kid and that is also a free weekend. It all depends on the schedule and whatever Austria thinks.
Racing Jett Lawrence would be cool as he is another generation?
Yes, and the only unfortunate thing is a lot of the AMA guys are injured, just like here at the moment. With Eli [Tomac], I hear he might retire now, and they are rumors, but I don’t know. I still want to race Eli another time and for me, he is one of the best ever in the U.S. and I always respect him and want to race him again. It is always asked who the best is, but that can’t be decided unless I raced a full season there or him a full season here.
Related: Tomac Update: "I'm Not Going to Make Any Decisions on My Future Right Now."
What about the SuperMotocross [World Championship] at the end of the year?
I am not racing supercross man, I am not doing that man, its two different sports, like mountain biking or road cycling. We saw what happened with Tim when he did the Monster Energy Cup, I am not doing that.
You are known for once you get your confidence, you are at your most dangerous. I mentioned in my report on the race it is starting to look a little like 2018 again. How is that confidence at the moment?
The confidence is coming quick, but it also goes quick. If I get beat straight up, then it dents the confidence, but once I get on a roll, then the confidence is very good. Let’s wait and see, race from race. At the end of the day, the championship is the goal and Jorge has made big steps from last year and he will be there. To beat him and his starts, the biggest weak point for me is my starts and that is his strong point, but even today, he didn’t get great starts.
Last question. Can you pick your top three GPs from these 102 GP wins?
Obviously the first one in Valkenswaard in 2010. Let me think, also the one in 2018 as Assen going 1-1 and wow the third one, a difficult one.
How about Lierop in 2012?
Oh, yes that was a fricken amazing one too. I pick those three.
Images courtesy of KTM Images/Ray Archer
