Former MXGP rider, Petar Petrov, has been busy building his own structure in the European Championship paddock over the past couple of seasons. Running the AIT Racing Fantic-backed team, the Bulgarian has been helping develop young talents such as Hakon Osterhagen, Jayson Van Drunen and fellow countryman Vencislav Toshev.
After another year of progress and experience in 2025, Petrov sat down with us to look back on the team’s development, assess the performances of his riders, and share his thoughts on the current state of the sport. The conversation also touched on his own riding ambitions, the challenges facing non-factory teams, and his excitement for what promises to be a stacked MXGP field in 2026.
GateDrop: Petar, when you look back at the 2025 season, how would you reflect on it?
Petrov: I think we improved quite a lot as a team in 2025. I think we made some big steps in general. It was also our second year as a professional team in the European Championship so I think there was a lot of positives to take. Of course, there are still a lot of things that we can improve and we can do better in general. But overall, I find it as quite a positive season and we did some good stuff this year. I mean, we had a top five moto with Hakon. We had also a top five overall with Toshev. So, 2025 was quite a good season.
GateDrop: Hakon Osterhagen has lots of talent and had some good days this year – but probably not consistent enough. How was it to work with him?
Petrov: Working with Hakon, I mean talent-wise, I think he is probably one of the most talented guys there is. Unfortunately, he’s had a lot of injuries. I think we started very late with him so that was a little bit of an issue, and he was coming back from injury. I think we expect, our expectations, his and ours, I think were to go for the title and go top three. I think that’s his talent and his speed is for these kinds of results.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. It didn’t even get close, unfortunately. I think mid-season, when the results were not what it should have been, I think his motivation maybe dropped a little bit and then it was just a difficult end of the season. That’s why we decided to part ways before the end of the season. But talent-wise, like I said, one of the most talented riders there is. It’s actually a shame that his results don’t really reflect the talent and the speed he has.
GateDrop: Jayson Van Drunen’s season basically finished before it even started – how disappointing was that? He did get back on the bike mid-season I believe but got injured again – a bummer!
Petrov: Jayson was really sad because I think he had a really good speed during the winter. I think if he was not injured, I think he was a top five rider in the EMX125 class. He was really sad that he got injured and after this, the comeback was a little bit difficult. First of all, it was a very long injury. He was out six months or something like this with a broken femur and then he came back. Unfortunately, he hit a rock on the take off during the first or second day back and he got re-injured. He was again out for a month, so it’s been a very tough season for him. It’s really a shame because I think he could have done some good results. But yeah, that’s Motocross and unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Now he’s been back on the bike, and he did Lommel. We can see the improvements and his speed is starting to come back again so that’s positive.
GateDrop: Vencislav Toshev seemed to improve a lot this year. Are you happy with his progress?
Petrov: I’m really happy with Vencislav. I mean, he improved a lot. Considering last year, he was qualifying from time to time but not consistently qualifying. This year, not only he was qualifying all the time quite easy, but I think he was a top ten rider on a good day. On a bad day he was still a top fifteen rider. We also had a top five finish in France and he had a couple of highlights, which was really nice to see. I think for both of us, we as a team and also him as a rider, it was really nice to see because we put a lot of work this winter and we see improvements so that was really nice.
GateDrop: Is it nice for you to work with a fellow Bulgarian?
Petrov: Of course, it’s nice that he’s from Bulgaria because we don’t have that many riders and to have one more after me and there are a few more coming up so that’s really nice. We are kind of a Bulgarian team so it’s really nice to see this. We really hope it continues this way, he continues to improve and hopefully we show that even coming from a small country like Bulgaria, where Motocross is not on that high level at the moment… Hopefully this improves and that riders can do good, that there are possibilities to move forward and that you can do good. I am happy that Vencislav is Bulgarian and that he’s doing good at the moment – hopefully he will continue improving.
GateDrop: For 2026, as of right now, what are the plans for your team?
Petrov: For 2026, at the moment, we plan to continue like how we were, as of right now, we are planning to continue with the European Championship with possibly both the 125cc and 250cc classes. The plan is to continue with Fantic or this is the plan for the moment. At the moment, not much has been signed and it’s a little bit late but it’s just the way it is. The economy is not great and it’s not that easy. We are looking to continue like how we were, hopefully make another step and keep on improving as a team and that’s the plan for now. We want to have riders to fight for podiums and top five in both classes – that’s what we would like to achieve and that’s the plan.
GateDrop: I know you were thinking about maybe racing last year but you didn’t do any GP’s – is it harder to fit in riding time more than you expected?
Petrov: I was planning to race last year myself, a few races and this is something that I would still like to do. Unfortunately, this year, I didn’t really have much time to practice. I was focused on the team all the time and it was just quite difficult to find the time to practice. The level is so high now that if you’re not 100% and your head is not into it… I don’t want to be there just to be there also. I want to fight and to fight with the guys and to show some results also, not just to ride around in last place and things like this. I don’t think I would be last, but still, I just had no time. But for sure, we never know.
GateDrop: Have you any interest in racing some GP’s again the future if you get bike time?
Petrov: Next year, the plan for the moment is to continue to practice with the guys and to push them. Then if I feel good and if I’m not slow, if I’m fast or decently fast and fit, I might do a few races. The plan is to do still some international races but I might do a few GP’s. But this, it’s still not sure and we will have to see. I was planning to race last year but it just never happened.
GateDrop: How do you find being involved in a team as oppose to being a rider – do you enjoy it?
Petrov: It’s a lot different being a rider and being a team manager. Being a rider, you have to focus on yourself and just try to be always good. You kind of just think about yourself and trying to improve. As a team manager, you have to make sure that the riders are happy, the mechanics are happy, that the sponsors are happy, but also that everything goes smooth. You work with way more people and you’re responsible also for the riders. I try to do a good job and we try to improve. We’re a young team, but my goal is to help the riders improve, not only physically, but also mentally to understand a little bit the sport. Just to understand that it’s a hard work and that we’re doing our best and they need to do also their best and so on. It’s a lot different. It’s also quite a lot more stressful because it’s not all up to you. There’s a lot of things that need to go right and that’s not so easy sometimes.
GateDrop: From the outside, it looks like the manufacturers are struggling at the moment – does it feel like that in the paddock?
Petrov: It’s not so easy at the moment. I think the economy is not great, but also we see what’s happening with KTM and stuff like this. I think that puts a little bit of doubt also in the other factories and maybe they are being a little bit more cautious on the budgets. That’s not easy because there’s more and more races. Also, nothing has changed. Everything for a matter of fact has gone more up and more expensive so that’s difficult. We have to adapt and we have to find the solutions, just the way it is and it’s not really up to us. It’s just the way it is.
GateDrop: Is it getting harder for non-supported factory teams?
Petrov: It is getting harder for the non-factory teams, but I think also for the factory teams it’s hard. It’s just, like I said, it’s the way the world is, the way the economy is at the moment so it is hard, but it’s the way it is. There’s not much we can do. I think we try to do our best, the non-factory teams, and try to get the best results and try to find sponsors, which is really difficult at the moment. Anyway, we hope to continue and we will see how it goes.
GateDrop: Your team made the switch to Fantic for the 2025 season. Have you been happy with the switch and the support you receive from the brand?
Petrov: Yeah, we switched to Fantic this year. I think it’s a brand that wants to improve and we’ve seen the things they did in MXGP this year. I think it’s something really great, with Glenn Coldenhoff finishing third, but also the whole team being consistently in top ten. I think Fantic is working hard and we are quite happy. I think the bike is good. Of course, everyone would like to have more support and that’s the way it is. But, we were happy with the bike. We had no problems and the bike was strong, so that’s really good. We will continue with them for the moment and we would like to continue. We have nothing signed, of course but we were happy with the season.
GateDrop: How do you see things improving – what do you think needs to happen?
Petrov: That’s a hard question. I mean, I think everybody has an opinion and a lot of things. I think a lot of people are blaming Infront Moto Racing and so on. I don’t, because I think it’s still a world championship and European championship. We have to go to those countries. We have to race in those countries and so on. Of course, there is stuff probably that can improve and should improve. What are those things? I don’t know. I think there’s also the economy in general is not good. So, what can be improved? I’m not sure. I think it’s not my place to say.
To be honest, I really don’t know what can be done better. Of course, I think the entry fees and things like this, for non-factory teams and for privateer teams, that’s not so easy. I think last year with the calendar change after the first calendar was out and the change with the addition of England and Finland, that was a little bit hard, because that was quite a big extra budget. But it is the way it is. I think we all have to adapt sometimes and it’s just the way it is.
GateDrop: Looking ahead to 2026, we’ll have Vialle back – Kay de Wolf in MXGP as well as probably Andrea Adamo – Herlings and Gajser changing brands – are you looking forward to 2026?
Petrov: I think the MXGP class next year will be stacked, again. I think it’s been stacked for the last maybe six, seven, eight years. It will be nice to see Vialle coming back, Kay moving up, and also probably Adamo. Then with Jeffrey and Gajser switching brands, that’s quite something, actually.
It’s going to be kind of strange seeing 84 on a different bike and also Gajser on a different brand, different colours. Both of them, that would be something nice. I think exciting also for the public and for the fans. I think this is something that will be interesting to see how they adapt, because I think for Gajser, the adaption is going to be a bit easier than for Jeffrey. I mean, Jeffrey’s been on KTM for around 15 years or something but the biggest change, I think, is the frame from steel to aluminum. But I think, he will adapt. I mean, he’s not a five-time world champion for no reason and the same for Gajser.
But I think Lucas will be strong, Febvre is going to be also strong, because I think people are a little bit focusing too much on Lucas, Gajser and on Jeffrey, but we forget who is the world champion. That’s something that he will be still motivated and he’ll be still fast next year.
I’m excited for next year to see what happens. I think Kay in some races will be just as fast as them and maybe even in more places than we expect at the moment. I think he’s a big boy and he’s going to be strong and the same with Andrea. I think it’s interesting.
It’s exciting as a fan to see who’s going to win. But yeah, at this moment it’s kind of hard to predict. I still think that, speed-wise, Gajser and Jeffrey will be still fast and maybe the fastest too. Lucas is also there, I think. We see like this year and every year there’s injuries and there’s consistency. It’s very important. I think Romain is quite consistent and then we have to see also the young guys. I mean, Kay, Andrea and Vialle. I think Vialle is really consistent and we’ve seen that in the past years that he’s always there. He maybe is not the fastest, but he is always there, we saw it also in the US Supercross and so on. This is also important.
I do believe that the top guys from this year, Jeffrey, Gajser, Lucas and Romain, will be top guys also next year and then for the others we have to see… I also think it’s quite a step from MX2 to MXGP. I think some guys adapt easier than others, we’ve seen it with Lucas and some guys adapt maybe a bit more difficult, like Jago. We have to wait and see.
