HERLINGS UNDEFEATED IN TÜRKIYE

It isn’t often you see Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings settling, but with a huge points disadvantage and both Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado ahead of him, and just three rounds remaining, “The Bullet” is realistic and knows that winning the 2024 MXGP championship is probably not going to happen.

Having won five World title already and losing two or three due to injuries, you can feel for the Dutchman, but he is satisfied just to end the season in one piece and enjoy these final three rounds in Türkiye, China and Spain.

“I am already third in the championship,” Herlings said. “I have a big advantage over Calvin in the points, like 200 points or something. For me third place is almost safe, and its just a shame. I had a DNF, two or three start crashes and luck has not been on my side. I have had some real bad starts, that didn’t help. Over the complete year, for sure the last couple of months, I have matched the speed of Jorge and Tim. I am really close, but I need some luck.”

Sweden last weekend saw the KTM man finish with 2-2 results and second overall. Consistent and good speed didn’t win him the Grand Prix, and now he looks forward to the next rounds and looking at trying to get his sixth World title in 2025.

“Both times once I got the second, the bird was gone. I had the speed, I had the speed all day to win, but it doesn't bring me anything, you know! So anyway, two-two on a track, I'd say I don't fancy so much, it's not too bad. So, no, I mean, this is the track last year I struggled the most and now this year I felt like my bike setup was much better my riding was good I was really at good speed so yeah just couldn't get out of start like almost always so you know it is like it is but looking forward to Türkiye and China I think those tracks for the inside gates will suit me a bit better so looking forward to them”

As for Türkiye, Herlings is yet to lose there, and although he has missed the last two years there, he will arrive at that beautiful country with confidence and the goal to stay undefeated. He also won in China in 2019 and feels as though he will have a great chance to take victory again in Asia, after leaving Indonesia a couple of months ago with the win in Lombok II.

“I have never lost in Türkiye. I won there in 2018, I won there twice in 2019, and I won in 2021 twice, so I have won four out of four in Turkiye and I won the only race we have done in China.”

Whatever happens in these final three rounds, you can be sure Herlings will return in 2025, excited and happy to have finished a full season without injury, something that has hardly ever happened in his very successful career.

Photo Credit : Ray Archer