Speaking on the excellent Gypsy Tales podcast with Jase McAlpine, Antonio Cairoli has given his view on the biggest story of MXGP 2026 – Herlings and Gajser going to new manufacurers for the first time in their pro careers.
On Herlings move to Honda, Cairoli said: “I think moneywise it was a good move. The Japanese have good salaries and stuff. I don’t know how he will adapt to the aluminium frame after so many years riding the KTM but for sure he is a hard worker, he will figure it out. He will be in the top three for sure this year.
On Gajser’s move from Honda to Yamaha, Cairoli opined: “I think Gajser will be better for me. I think the Yamaha, I don’t know how long it will take to adapt, but I like the bike, how it look from the outside. I have friends riding the Yamaha and I really think it is a good bike for him.”
Cairoli also said of Herlings training and mindset: “I am not a big fan of Jeffrey of his riding style but the effort he puts in training, he is an animal! He just wants to be the fastest, the fastest, the fastest, not just a little bit but by a big amount! This was until a probably a couple of years ago because now he is getting older and he probably realises there are other things. During that time if he could learned a bit more to be a bit more under the limit and not care about others and just do what is enough to win, I think he could reach more than what he has reached until now.
“He was riding four or five times a week from morning to night. it takes a lot of energy, not just physically but also mentally to do that kind of stuff. But it’s normal if you ride that much and win it is normal your skills will improve but it is a choice. He is still riding okay of course, but he is facing a lot of injuries from the past. You can see him more stiff when he is riding and not as flexible like he was in sand years ago. You will pay the price one day of your choices in the past.”
Get the full podcast below as Cairoli discusses his career in detail:
