Lucas Coenen has been a stunning addition to the MXGP class in 2025. After coming close to the 2024 MX2 title, the 18 year old Belgian super-talent immediately stepped up to the shock of many, to take on the most experienced and elite riders in the premier class of world championship racing.
Coenen has been a revelation and has found himself in immediate title contention, and as usual, once he wins once, he wins again and again and that is proving true yet again, even in MXGP. We caught up with the Belgian star after his second overall at Matterley Basin.
Are you happy with the overall result?
Yeah, I mean, not much to complain about. Saturday just went on cruise mode, because the track wasn’t rideable for me. I was just scared about riding, because you never know what can happen, there was just no lines. The only one I think liked it was Romain, because he likes to ride in those conditions, likes to be brave. But I didn’t have any clue what we were doing, the mistake, because we didn’t even see the braking bumps and everything. So, yeah, and then today just first moto, good start holeshot, and then did the last, but made a little tip over, I don’t even know how. So, yeah, finished second in first moto.
Second moto, after the start Romain ran me wide, and I was third, and then just tried to pass, but yeah, with Ruben, it’s really difficult to pass. So, made some mistakes, I wasn’t sure about it. So, yes, then I made some good laps, I showed my physical (condition) is good, I wasn’t tired. So, that was positive, but yeah, we couldn’t pass, so that was the problem. But now we just rock the stars and get those wins again.
You’re in the hunt for the title, a lot of people maybe didn’t think you’d be doing that at 18 on a 450 and MXGP. Do you feel you’ve proved a lot of people wrong? Is this what you expected?
I’m here to prove them wrong, because I don’t care what they say, they can only speak about me, but I’m just showing what I can do. You can have bad days, you can have good days, but I know what I can do, I know what I can do, and I’m just showing it, no excuses. Just doing step by step and showing what we can do.
You are really, really smooth, and even Jeffrey said about how good you are under pressure with people behind you! For me, it’s so impressive that you’re so mature to see it to make such good decisions. Is that something you’ve worked on, or just you have automatically?
Just with the team, I’m only a 450 rider and have some good advice. Also with my father, we work also good with my brother, so just putting everything together and trying to be the best person I can be. But I know that I still have a lot in the tank left, so it’s good also to be fighting in the back so I can show what I can do. But honestly, it’s just been really tough to pass. I don’t even know now, after analyzing, I still wouldn’t know where to pass!
In America, Jett and Eli Tomac are two sort of generational talents, battling each other. Here, in GPs, it’s you and Jeffrey. Is it cool you get to race him before he retires?
Yeah, of course. Of course, it’s really good to race them. For me, heroes, what he does on a bike, still now, it’s impressive. I just like it, but I want to beat them everybody, so I’m just trying to prove people wrong like that.
So there’s a lot of rumors about next year, about potentially staying with KTM, doing some Supercross like Prado. Are you able to confirm any rumors at the minute, or still unknown?
No, probably not.
Thank you very much.
