Tim Gajser continues to build momentum. At Foxhill in the UK, the Yamaha rider secured his fourth overall podium of the season and, for the first time in 2026, finished on the podium in both races on Sunday.
Beyond the overall result, the Slovenian enjoyed one of his strongest weekends of the year in terms of points, collecting 48—bettered only by his 49-point haul at Arco di Trento. But more important than the numbers is the trend itself. After a difficult start to the season, Gajser appears to be steadily finding his rhythm again. That came despite a challenging start to the Foxhill weekend, including an eye problem during Saturday morning’s practice sessions.
“In the final laps of timed practice, a piece of plastic from one of my tear-offs got into my eye,” explained Gajser. “It was really painful, and it wasn’t easy to get out. They had to numb my eye to remove it. It wasn’t easy to ride like that in the qualifying race, but I managed to finish fifth [despite my crash]. That was okay. On Sunday, it already felt much better in the morning, and it kept improving throughout the day. It wasn’t an issue anymore for the motos.”
Gajser spent much of the opening moto tucked in behind Jeffrey Herlings, never allowing the Dutchman to pull away before crossing the line in second place. A similar scenario unfolded in race two until a mistake ended his hopes of taking the victory. On lap 11, the factory Yamaha rider lost the front end exiting a corner while once again closing in on the leader. Even with the crash, Gajser confirmed the progress he has shown in recent weeks.
“I hit the rut pretty hard, and it collapsed underneath my wheels. I lost the front and crashed. After that, Romain passed me, and I just focused on securing third place. The track was really tricky in some places with the ruts because the sun was already very low during the motos, especially on the long uphill sections. You couldn’t see very well. But it was the same for everyone.”
After taking pole position in qualifying, setting the fastest time in the qualifying race, and posting the second-fastest lap in both motos, Gajser continues to grow more comfortable aboard the factory Yamaha. The ambition is there, as is the speed, but the Slovenian knows there are still a few details to iron out.
“I’d say the speed is there, but I’m still making small mistakes. Crashes like the one today are something I need to avoid. Once I do that, I can fight for victories. We’re working hard to get there.”
To help accelerate his adaptation to the Yamaha and take another step forward, Gajser has been working closely with former Grand Prix rider Marc de Reuver since Riola Sardo. Having previously ridden for the factory Yamaha team himself, De Reuver has brought valuable experience and an important outside perspective.
“We started working together with Marc de Reuver at Riola Sardo. He’s with us at the races and gives us advice. He has a lot of experience. He was a very good Grand Prix rider, he’s been in our boots, and he knows exactly how we feel in certain situations. He’s a great help, and I’m really happy to have him by my side.”
With his confidence growing, speed returning and consistency improving, Gajser’s adaptation to the factory Yamaha is clearly heading in the right direction. While the elusive first overall victory of the season still remains out of reach, Foxhill provided further evidence that the Slovenian is edging ever closer. If he can eliminate the costly mistakes, it may only be a matter of time before he is standing on the top step once again.
