Max Nagl will defend his title again in 2024. Champion to continue working with the KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek team. As determined as ever to win.
Max Nagl (D/KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek) will defend his ADAC MX Masters title next season. This year, the 36-year-old claimed his fourth championship in the top class of the series, having previously won in 2006, 2008 and 2022. Before that, he had won the ADAC MX Junior Cup on the 85cc bike. Nagl has already set course to defend his title next year, and revealed in an interview that he has agreed another season with his team. Should he succeed in his quest for another title, he would equal the record of five currently held by Dennis Ullrich.
Congratulations on winning the title again. How does it feel to be a four-time ADAC MX Masters champion? Max Nagl: “It is very special, particularly as I was defending my title, which is always more difficult. And we did it. Now I have to try it all again.”
You now have four ADAC MX Masters titles. Dennis Ullrich currently holds the record with five championships. Will you go again next year? “The ADAC MX Masters title did not yet exist at the start of my professional career, and the number of titles I have is not important to me. However, I will indeed be back for another season and race again next year. That was not a certainty at first, but I have considered it carefully in the meantime.”
What were the main reasons behind that decision? “Honda obviously wanted to continue after the success, the bike was top, and the team was super. And I still have that fire in my belly. Even I don’t know why that is. However, once the season ended I started to think about next year season and can feel the motivation to continue. As long as you have that, you can keep going. When the time comes that I no longer have that desire, it will be time to stop. However, I have not yet reached that point. When it really comes down to it, as it did in Dreetz, I can still go up an extra gear. As long as that is still possible, then I can carry on.”
How would you sum up your season? There were many different overall winners this year. “It was not easy. Our season started really well in Fürstlich Drehna. At that point, Adam Sterry was extremely strong. I thought to myself: okay, he is going to be my main rival for this year. Then we suddenly had new riders popping up all the time. Maximilian Spies was suddenly really fast, in Denmark for example. Then Tom Koch also stepped up. The field was mixed up on a regular basis. I had a bit of a slump around the middle of the season due to some technical issues. That is always a shame, but that is part and parcel of motorsport and can always happen. It took a bit too long to resolve the problems, but we finally did it in time for the final race and I was able to really go for it again. However, it did get on our nerves and cause a lot of stress this year. I’m happy to admit that.”
No rider managed to pick up points in every race this year. “Exactly, every one of the top riders had a DNF. However, that kind of seems fair, as nobody can blame that for the final result. When it comes down to it, the riding is what decided the championship.”
You switched to the KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek in 2023, in order to find new motivation. In hindsight, did that gamble pay off? “Yes, that strategy really paid dividends, because switching to a new team and a new bike definitely motivated me and helped me to train more, or at least a lot, in the winter. The issues with the technology did surprise me a bit, as Japanese manufacturers, particularly Honda, are known for being very reliable. Whereby, I must say that the issues were not with Honda, but with accessory parts. You change certain things on the bike and some of these things broke. However, that had nothing to do with the bike itself.”
You already mentioned that you had these issues under control by the end of the season. Should the opposition be quaking in their boots if you are still on tried-and-tested material in 2024? “Yes, I hope so. As I said, things can always break at any time, regardless of the manufacturer. In Motocross, it is still 80% down to the rider and not primarily the material. I still have to do a good job though, even during the winter.”
You also train other riders, such as Maximilian Spies. He has already claimed one overall victory in his rookie season. Are you not afraid that you are cultivating your own opposition? “Max is a totally different generation to me. I am coming towards the end of my career and he is just starting out. Sure, he is improving all the time, but that is the whole point of our cooperation. He has already beaten me in some races, but that does not mean I have a problem training him. We will continue to work together. He will come to me for training again this winter, because his goal is clearly the world championship. He does not need to win five ADAC MX Masters titles at this point, but needs to establish himself in the world championship, in order to perhaps step up to a big team at some point in the future. I am only too happy to continue helping him there. I obviously also benefit, but that is not the point, but a side effect. That is always the way when you train younger drivers. In order to make him better, I have to push him, which means I have to be fast on the bike too. That is a good set-up, and fun. Particularly because he is a decent bloke and I like working with people like him.”
What was your personal highlight of the 2023 ADAC MX Masters? “That was Dreetz, where I just rode really well. There are few races where I am happy with myself. That is always the way with me, but I was 100% happy in Dreetz – particularly in the third race, when there was no pressure or stress and I was able to ride freely.”
And what was the race to forget – for you? “Where I was a bit surprised was Denmark, where I was simply too slow. I never got to grips with the track in the way I had anticipated. And Gaildorf on the Saturday. Okay, I had a few technical issues there, but I was not happy. I like riding on that track, but I am always too slow there. It is not down to the surface, as I also like Bielstein and Holzgerlingen, and am fast there too. I don’t know what it is about Gaildorf. Maybe they need to change the direction we ride in for next year…”
What was the secret to your success and being crowned champion in the end? “On the one hand, my starts – they are always important. And my consistency. When everything was working, I was always in the top three or winning. My experience obviously helps there. And I think I am more committed than the other guys. I invest an awful lot of time and energy in my training and believe that I still do more in that regard – as the others really ought to do.”
Did anything or anyone surprise you this year? “I was a bit surprised by my team-mate Jordi Tixier at first. I expected more from him. The same goes for Lars von Berkel, whose beach races I followed in the winter. With sand tracks like Fürstlich Drehna, Tensfeld and Dreetz, I had him down as a very strong opponent. Tom Koch is very consistent. He is always there and always picks up points. That also surprised me a little over the course of the year.”
Is there anything you would like to say before the winter break? “I find it mega that I still get so much good support from the fans. There are certain people who would say ‘that’s enough, it is time for him to retire and allow others to have their time at the top’. However, I believe most people are happy that I am still riding. Nowadays, I try not to take everything quite so seriously, in order to give myself more time for the fans to get autographs and take photos, even just before the start of races. I try to be a bit more relaxed and give something back to people.”
