You have always come across as a positive guy, and you always seem to like the fly-away events. Going to Brazil, which is similar to Argentina, a place the MXGP paddock have always loved going, could be a really positive experience. You have a small family, so if you are going to do something like this, you need to do it now?
It is definitely a new experience, but I will stay in The Netherlands, same as always and just make up and down eight or nine times, so the situation at home won’t change much. I will go for some testing and in January and then we have an official team launch. The people from the team are really motivated to have me and put in a big effort and as you said, the Brazilians are so enthusiastic and the messages I have through social media, it’s insane. I don’t know yet what it will be like, but people in the team, they tell me, it is going to be insane with the supporters, it will be crazy. Some races they had 30,000 people watching the race. I’m curious and excited and a big chapter in my life and I am taking it with both hands.
You might end up being the new Jett Lawrence, or Jeffrey Herlings of Brazil?[Laughing] I don’t know. For those guys, it is going to be something very special. I always tried to do a good job with MXGP, especially at my age. I still think I can do this for a few more years and I will continue to train like I do for MXGP. Same amount of effort and in that part, nothing will change. It is a different championship, new tracks. I mean, I have done MXGP for 15 years and it’s often the same tracks. I would have liked to go to Foxhill, as it looks like a good track on the videos, and a really historical one and a pity I miss that one, but generally, I have all new tracks in 2026 and I am excited about that.
Do you know the weekends you will have free and would you possibly want to fit in a few rounds of MXGP? Maybe even Argentina, as it will be close to your new fans in Brazil?
No, I won’t do Argentina, I don’t think so. I will start my preparation a bit later and so far, I don’t have bikes, so I don’t have the chance to train. Physical training I am doing, but I need bike time. I am setting up my own race team, and I plan to do some Dutch races, the Belgian international in Keiheuvel, those kinds of races. I will do around 10 races in Europe. As for MXGP, once I get my program going and I can get some good engines and it doesn’t cost me too much money, then I there might be a possibility in Arnhem as it’s one I like. Then the Dutch GP is always special for Dutch guys. I’m setting up everything at this moment and am very busy. We will see if I do some GPs or not.