MXGP rookie Kay de Wolf has slowly but surely been returning to the raw speed and form that previously made him an MX2 world champion, with the MXGP of Latvia marking his best premier class result to date in P2 overall. In this Debrief feature, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing rider reflects on his podium and the progress being made in his debut campaign.

Image: Supplied.

Take aways from Kegums

Yeah, just positive. We were aiming for 3-3 finishes and ended up with a 3-2 for second overall, so we’re really happy. We achieved another goal by finishing second overall, so I’m really satisfied with how the weekend went. The second moto was a bit tougher. I got pushed wide off the start, which put me around P9 or something, and it didn’t make things as easy as the first moto. In that one I had much better flow and could ride a lot easier. It’s always tough coming through the pack. It was possible to pass, but it was still really hard. Tim put up a good fight and I actually made a few big mistakes, which shouldn’t happen, but we’re still learning and continuing to achieve new goals. So I’m really happy.

Rookie year expectations

Yeah, I just hoped to be up front. Of course, the first race in Spain wasn’t so good. I just didn’t come in prepared enough. I’d been laying on the physio table for three weeks basically doing nothing, and then to go racing in Spain was tough. After the first moto I was wondering how I was even going to go to the gate for the second one. Then I managed to get a pretty decent result with seventh overall. Ever since then I’ve gone fourth, fourth, fifth last weekend, and now a podium with second overall. I’ve been in the top five every round, so I’m really happy with my performance and we just keep building and trying to be consistent.

Image: Supplied.

Overall

I felt good in the first moto, but I struggled a bit more in the second. I got pushed wide at the start and had to come through from around P8, which made things difficult. I made a few mistakes along the way, so it wasn’t quite the moto I was hoping for, but I kept fighting until the end. Overall, it’s been a really positive weekend. Coming away with my second MXGP podium and my best result in the class so far is something I’m proud of. We came here aiming for a podium and to be consistent across all three races, and we managed to achieve that. A big thank you to the team for all their hard work. We’re happy with the progress we’re making, and we’ll keep pushing to get even better.