At the MXGP of Turkiye, defending MXGP World Champion Tim Gajser has finally won himself the 44th Grand Prix of his career. The Slovenian last won at te same circuit some 12 months ago, but obviously the femur injury suffered in the pre-season race at Trentino, Italy, has slowed his plans in 2023.
After returning from injury, Gajser was hovering in the mid-top range, but you don’t win five FIM World Championships without some resolve, so it was clear Gajser would at some point be battling up front with the likes of Romain Febvre, Jorge Prado and Jeremy Seewer. Over the weekend, that was finally the case.
We caught up with the always polite, and friendly rider to talk about his GP wins and what he expects now in the remainder of 2023.
Interview courtesy Geoff Meyer and MXLarge.com
Main Image courtesy Bavo Swijgers/Honda HRC
MXLarge: For us as fans, it was difficult watching you running around in fifth or sixth position, so it was nice to see you back on top of the box this weekend. Did you expect it to take a little longer? You did mention in the press conference you hadn’t been riding sand and I guess now we are on hard pack; your preparation might have been better for this?
Tim Gajser: To be completely honest, yes, I was expecting this, maybe I thought I would do this a little earlier, but it took me six GPs to get around the podium positions. I knew it was a difficult injury, you know, and it was not easy. Maybe we didn’t pick the perfect tracks to come back. Loket was okay, and I wanted to come there, because of my fans, I knew many fans would be there. Then we had three GPs in a row of sand. As I mentioned in the press conference, we didn’t really test in sand since February, and I didn’t ride sand since February.
Did you feel any pressure to get a win again?
There was no pressure, it was more just riding around, trying to enjoy it as much as I could. I was just taking these races as a good training for next year. We were testing some things, trying some different things during the race. We have never done that before, because we were usually fighting for a championship and always fully focused. We were always scared to try something else, as we made the base at the beginning of the season and we were sticking to that, because it felt okay. Now, it is a different season. There is no pressure, and I am really happy now to come back on the podium after six GPs. To win the GP, it is a big confidence booster for the last two GPs and also the ‘Nations.
What about the road to getting back and winning here today?
It was a difficult road [as] everybody knows, for athletes coming back from such a big injury. I took it easy, just coming back to do some races, slowly I was building from GP to GP. Gaining confidence and starting to feel better and better on the bike. Today, riding was good, I got a bit of arm pump in the first moto, especially when I got into the lead. It has been a long time since I led a race. Finishing second and I took a good start [in the second moto] and then Jorge [Prado] made a mistake, and I got the lead, then I made a mistake, but could pick up the bike and win the moto.
You won in Turkey last year; it must be so important now for these last two races?
Yes, really important, for sure for next year. The expectation was to be on the podium, but I felt great all weekend and I like this track. I want to finish the season on a high note and that is the main goal, looking to next year.
Is that the longest you haven’t had a GP win since you first one in 2015?
I think when I was injured in 2017 and 2018, I think it was even longer, I think the gap was like 18 months. I won in 2017 and then in 2018 I didn’t win anything and then I won again in 2019 at the start of the season. It has been too long let’s say.
With yourself and Jeffrey [Herlings] out so much this year, and you two being the fastest two guys from the last decade, I was wondering how the level was when you came back. Obviously, Romain (Febvre) and Jorge (Prado) have a high level, also Jeremy (Seewer). Can you give an indication how the level is, as you and Jeffrey were generally the ones who raised the level, but it does seem still, very high at the moment.
Yes, all the guys at the front are super-fast. They are really fast, and I came back after 12 GPs, everybody was already in race pace. I was struggling with that at the beginning. When you miss more than half the season, it is difficult to immediately get the intensity. At the first race, everybody is pushing.
Is that a bit scary?
Not scary, but I was like..."Whoa. we have to go back to the beginning." When you are practicing on your own, not racing really. It took my quite a long time to come back.
Last two GPs, do you now come in with the attitude to win, now that you have this win behind you?
Yes, I think. I feel good, I think this was a confidence booster and now I can believe, I am confident again and now I know I can do it. With a good start, starts are so important, we all know. Everybody in the top ten is super-fast and passing is very, very difficult. It is not easy to make a pass and good starts and riding well, that is the goal for the last two GPs.
Jett Lawrence has had a brilliant year in America, and while we don’t know if the competition there is as tough as here, that is difficult to know, but do you look forward to battling him at the Nations, or some of the other AMA guys?
It is going to be really good. You know, it is always interesting. I didn’t do Nations now for a couple of years, the last time was in 2019 in Assen.
You won a moto there?
I won my class there. I am looking forward to going back after not doing it for four seasons. It is a special event, with the fans and we all know Ernee, with the big fans, it is crazy.
