Shaun Simpson reflected on an encouraging start to the 2026 season, with the Gabriel SS24 KTM team making headlines both domestically in the British Championship, on the world stage in MXGP and the EMX250 series. From strong performances at Hawkstone Park to promising signs in the Grand Prix paddock, the former MXGP rider offered a detailed assessment of his riders’ progress, the evolving KTM structure, and what lies ahead.
“Overall, we were pleased with the start of our British Championship campaign,” Simpson explained. “I am greedy so would have loved to have both red plates but Ben Watson rode well and is strong in the sand. The big question mark from the event was Conrad Mewse but he is fast and will work it out – it’s looking like an exciting series in UK. Oriol was right with Watson in the second moto before having a crash before the bomb hole”.
Simpson was also keen to highlight the level of competition in Britain, stressing that the depth of talent is often overlooked.
“People underestimate the pace of the British riders on home soil – it is fast. Gyan needed last year to adapt to different tracks and get used to the different type of racing. It was nice to see him win at Hawkstone Park and hopefully that can help turn the corner for him racing in the UK so he can challenge for the title.”
Turning attention to EMX250, Simpson acknowledged that results didn’t fully reflect Gyan’s true speed at the opening round.
“Gyan’s pace at the opening round of the EMX250 wasn’t bad but starts hurt him. There’s nobody more disappointed than Gyan himself with how the first round went – he wants to win.”
The Scotsman also shed light on structural changes within KTM’s junior programme and how that influenced their current line-up.
“Before this year we were the official EMX250 KTM Junior team which meant we ran two EMX250 riders. However, there was a change in the structure from KTM with Van Venrooy also more involved this year. With myself being a former MXGP rider, I have a real passion for the MXGP class. Myself and Simon (Gabriel) first came up with the idea to keep Oriol for another season and give him an opportunity to race his rookie season in the MXGP World Championship. KTM were also happy with this so it worked out well for everybody.”
Oriol Oliver’s transition into MXGP has been pretty good – even leading some laps at his home GP. Simpson believes the Spaniard has all the tools to succeed.
“Oriol has a great technique and is a good starter so I expect him to have a good season once he adapts to the class and learns the pace. The class is definitely stacked. When you see the names in front of Oriol it’s understandable he’s not beating them yet as they’re all world champions or GP winners – it’s not easy.”
“I told Oriol it doesn’t matter the colour of the bike in front of him or behind. It doesn’t matter if he’s battling with Romain Febvre or Kevin Brumann and that he has to try his best. To be very honest, we expected him to be battling for the top fifteen at this stage of the season. We had a really good winter and we certainly didn’t expect him to get on the podium at Alghero so things are going really well. Ideally we expect him to be a top ten rider consistently once he gets fully adapted to the class. There’s no reason he can’t get some top five moto’s either and on a good day, why not a podium? He has good potential and this weekend was really good for him riding in front of his home crowd.”
Looking further ahead, Simpson confirmed that while certain elements of the future are already defined, there is still flexibility in how the team evolves.
“We have one year left on our KTM contract and at the moment the only thing that’s certain is that we have to run one EMX250 rider. After that it’s open and we will certainly have options. We’ll make a decision together with KTM on what we decide to do for the future but I would certainly be open to continue racing the MXGP class.”
Finally, Simpson gave his thoughts on the new Almonte circuit, which hosted the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Almonte was a new track for everybody and overall, they did a good job with the track. It was really rough but I am not sure if I would have loved to be out there or not because there didn’t look to be much flow and it seemed to form up that the riders only used two or three lines going into the corners which meant it was hard to pass. But overall they did a good job with the track and it was certainly challenging.”
All in all, Simpson’s reflections paint the picture of a team on the rise—competitive at home, learning quickly on the world stage, and with a clear vision for the future. With strong riders, growing confidence, and momentum building, the foundations are in place for an exciting season ahead.
