Dylan Ferrandis’ program for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season came together late in the off-season. The long-time rider for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, who first debuted with the BluCru team back in February 2017, wanted a change for 2024. So, after seven years—including multiple podiums and race wins, plus two 250SX West Region titles (2019 and 2020), one 250 Class AMA Motocross title (2020), and one 450 Class AMA Motocross title (2021)—the French rider bet on himself and made a move to David Eller’s Phoenix Racing Honda team. Through his first 31 450SX main event starts, he has two podium finishes and only nine total top-five finishes. Despite his program coming together late, Ferrandis is hoping a change in scenery, both on the machine under him and the team around him, will lead to more success as he enters his fourth 450SX season. Following the preseason press conference, we caught up with Ferrandis to get his thoughts on his off-season, how training with Jett and Hunter Lawrence is going, and more. As usual, his gives genuinely honest answers.
Racer X Online: All right, Dylan Ferrandis, this off-season, a lot of changes. Do you have an expectation result wise for this weekend or is it just kind of go out there and see how everything feels and kind of go from there?
Dylan Ferrandis: I mean, like everyone, it's difficult today to give an expectation. The field is insanely strong and so many good rider I think, is who worked the best this winter and what bike feels the best in a condition. So, it's gonna be…we see tomorrow, but for me, obviously, my program came very late in the winter. So, I mean, I would have liked to have more weeks of training and testing, but it is what it is. So, we see, I think for tomorrow, we take it as a pre-race a little bit, you know, we're gonna build from tomorrow. But yeah, we're in a good spot but I think we can improve more in the next couple of weeks.
And then obviously the short off-season, you had some changes. How do you feel like mentally? Do you feel like you were able to get a reset and do you feel refreshed coming into the season or you still kind of just feel like it was such a quick off-season you're still just kind of going from last year?
I would say that the coming late a little bit in the [off-]season was a refreshment as I could just rest. Rest and reset and move to a new house and do something different. And breathe a little bit, you know, and, for sure, I think, it was refreshing but when it's time to racing, the more you train the better. So, a little bit of both. But I think also, that small rest I was looking for after so many season and, so many injury and so many racing, I think I was looking for a little bit that small, I think I did, what, one month of rest. But I didn't really rest like I did, just no dirt bike, just, cycling and fitness, but no dirt bike and that was good. That was good, I enjoyed it.
So, we heard from Hunter a little bit in the press conference talking about working with you. You've been riding with those guys. So, what are your expectations for Jett and Hunter? Like, you've been able to ride with them, train with them. What are you expecting out of these guys?
I mean, I'm not gonna lie, if Jett doesn't win tomorrow, I think he need to don't come back to the practice next week because we're gonna punch him. Like the way he ride at practice track… There is no way he's not going to win tomorrow. And Hunter has been riding great. Also, I think it's going to be more for Hunter a mental battle because it is going to be his first 450 race. He has his brother having so much success next to him. So, I think it's gonna be more him against him, you know, but we see, I really enjoy practicing with them all winter. It was super fun. I think we bring this vibe of when we were a kid and just going to the track and have fun and just push each other. I think this was back to the practice track and I really enjoyed. That was something I was missing it. And we did a lot of motos together and it was great. So, let's see how it goes tomorrow.
And then obviously they are youngsters coming in their 450 supercross debuts and you're kind of a veteran. Are there things you're learning from them and they're learning from at the same time? Talk about that relationship, whether it's on the track after moto, you're kind of giving tips and pointers and you're seeing them do something and how are they doing that? I guess bike setting is probably a little bit different, but still Hondas. So, I'm sure there's things you're learning from them and things you're teaching them as well.
Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, we try to practice together and progress together. I think that's more the mentality over there, is like just try to help each other. And yeah, we can learn from anyone but of course, when you, when you have Jett on a track on the same track as you, yeah, it's difficult to do to do better than him. So, it's been, it's been uh it's been good. So anyway, and we try to just help each other and me like the veteran of this group of riders, so I try to give some tips also. But yeah, I mean, we are, we are professional racer[s]. We don't need too many advice, you know, we know already what we need to do.
