As Simon Längenfelder stormed to his first MX2 World Championship title in 2025, one person experienced every twist, triumph, and nerve-shredding moment right alongside him – his longtime partner, Malin Schmidt. Far more than simply a familiar face in the paddock, Malin plays a vital role behind the scenes, supporting Simon through the intensity of world championship racing while juggling her own passion for motocross.
In this exclusive interview, Malin opens up about her own journey into the sport, how she and Simon first connected, life travelling the world as part of a GP team, and what it was really like living through that dramatic and emotional title decider in Australia. From washing boots and filming starts to managing nerves and celebrating the biggest moment of their lives together, Malin offers a rare and heartfelt look at the human side of a world championship campaign.
GateDrop: Malin, let’s start with how you got into Motocross. Where did it all start – I assume you liked the sport before meeting Simon?
Schmidt: Exactly. I’ve always loved motocross and wanted to try it myself. For Christmas, my parents gave me a trial course in Radevormwald, so I went and checked it out. I had an amazing time and ended up buying my own bike. I’ve always enjoyed riding, but only as a hobby.
GateDrop: It looks like you have a bike and ride a bit or at least you used too? What is it about riding you enjoy?
Schmidt: I still have my Kawasaki today, even though I don’t get to ride much anymore because we’re often on the road. I just can’t bring myself to sell it. Motocross is a special hobby, and when you’re riding, you can simply forget everything else for a while.
GateDrop: I think you’ve been together with Simon for around five years – do you remember where you first met and how it all started?
Schmidt: We’ve been together for over five years now. We first got to know each other through social media, back when Simon was injured. At that time, he was still part of a team in Cologne, which wasn’t far from where I lived.
GateDrop: You obviously go to the GP’s now to support Simon. Have you got a favourite GP on the calendar and if so, what one?
Schmidt: My favourite GP is the one in Afyonkarahisar in Türkiye. Traveling there is always a bit of an adventure. We always fly to Istanbul, and the approach is beautiful every time, with all the houses and the ships on the Bosphorus. After that, it’s a five-hour drive through the Turkish countryside into the heart of Türkiye, to Afyon. Sometimes the navigation sends us on interesting routes through the mountains, passing mines and quarries along the way.
The hotel in Afyon is always one of the best of the year, and one positive thing about the track is that it actually has proper restroom facilities.
GateDrop: What does a GP weekend look like for you? I imagine you are busy doing lots of things for Simon?
Schmidt: We usually fly to the races on Thursday afternoon. Once we arrive in the country, I’ve always had to pick up the rental car – at least until last season, because Simon wasn’t old enough yet, (laughs)! Most of the time it’s still another 1–3 hours to the actual track. I usually drive so that Simon can rest and arrive feeling fresh.
On Friday, we check the track to make sure everything is there and prepared for the weekend. During the start training, I film Simon’s starts so he can watch them again afterwards. Sometimes there are also media events to attend.
On the race weekend itself, I try to take as many tasks off Simon as possible so he can focus only on riding. That includes washing his helmet and boots, packing away or hanging up dirty gear, laying out fresh clothes, getting him food, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Many people think we’re on vacation when we travel to the races, but there’s a lot more to it than what you see from the outside.
GateDrop: So, 2025… A year you’ll never forget. Australia – just talk me through that weekend – if you can. Complete chaos, I would say it was probably harder for you watching than it was for Simon to ride?
Schmidt: We had a really nice week in Australia before the actual race weekend. It’s such a beautiful country and continent, but we couldn’t fully enjoy our time there because the championship was always on our minds. I knew he would make it, and I never doubted him, but you’re still extremely nervous and just hope that all those countless hours of hard work will finally pay off and that Simon can make his dream come true. Simon always calls me crazy, but I pay attention to small signs. When he left China with a 16-point lead, it gave me a lot of hope. In 2025, he changed his race number from 516 to 27, and it’s important to know that he raced his very first event with the number 16. It was a sign, a reminder of where and how he started racing, and of how far he has come.
I tried to show as little nervousness as possible and to treat the weekend like any other race.
Of course, we had calculated beforehand how the races would need to go for him to win, but somehow deep down, I just knew he would, and there was no need to worry. I’m so grateful that the De Carli team supported us so well. The situation was new for us, and they always had an open ear, good advice, or simply a hug ready. Being so far from home and facing this situation alone as a couple is definitely a challenge, which is why I’m very thankful to the whole team for being like a family to us, even off the track.
When things got so chaotic in the second race on Sunday, I was standing in the pit lane with Ornella, the team manager’s wife. She just hugged me, completely soaked and we hoped for the best together. Behind us was Kiara Fontanesi with her family, keeping us updated on positions and events from the live stream. Then they said, “It’s red flagged! Simon is world champion! Go run to him!” In that moment, it’s impossible to fully realize what’s happening, it’s just overwhelming.
GateDrop: What was it like seeing him on the ground in both moto’s then bouncing back – then the rain and a red flag. You must have been so stressed? It was 2025 so it just had to rain (laughs)…
Schmidt: I know that Simon is a fighter, and his determination to win the title is indescribably strong! I’ve seen him crash many times and then fight his way back to the front during a race, so I knew he could do it. I wasn’t as stressed as I thought I would be, because I never gave up hope until the very last second. I just hoped that he hadn’t been seriously injured.
Honestly, I had imagined the moment when he was declared world champion to be more romantic, (laughs). In reality, such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders that it felt overwhelming, you didn’t even know whether to cry or laugh. So many emotions came together in that moment.
GateDrop: How did it feel to see Simon finally achieve his dream and win the MX2 World Championship?
Schmidt: He lives for the sport and for the dream of becoming world champion. His whole life is built around it, and he gives up a lot to achieve what he does. I’m incredibly proud of his ambition and how he motivates himself every single day to improve and push his limits further.
Calling it happiness almost doesn’t feel enough to describe it.
GateDrop: Did you see any difference in Simon mentally this year? I noticed at Saint Jean which was very early in the season – he didn’t look that happy with the podium but I felt in the past he would have been – did you notice a change this year that it became all about winning?
Schmidt: The main goal was definitely to win races. I think in Saint Jean, the problem wasn’t that he didn’t win, but that he didn’t win even though another rider cut the track and wasn’t penalized. That was really unfortunate, but in the end, it still worked out points-wise for the championship.
GateDrop: The final round took place in Australia, was it difficult to get visas and stuff?
Schmidt: The team took care about the visas to make sure everything is done correctly and we won’t have any problems at the border. The most difficult thing was to clean all the gear in China before flying to Australia on Sunday night after the race. Due to entry restrictions from the Australian border force we were not allowed to bring clothing contaminated with foreign soil and dirt, after a muddy GP it’s a real challenge to clean the stuff perfectly and dry them somehow!
GateDrop: Would you prefer the final round of the series to take place somewhere in Europe? I imagine there would be more friends etc there that could have seen a truly special moment…
Schmidt: For sure it’s nicer for fans and family to race the last round in Europe, but honestly I didn’t think so much about that, because we cannot change the calendar.
GateDrop: What was the atmosphere like in the team and with the people closest to him after he secured the title?
Schmidt: It was kind of a relieve for everyone involved. Everyone who was on site in Australia was covered in mud from head to toe. Something that touched me a lot was Claudio, standing on the starting straight with his face completely smeared in orange, crying tears of joy. I believe this title meant a lot to him. De Carli had worked tirelessly with Simon for four years to finally achieve it, yet injuries had always kept him in third place. When it finally happened, it felt a bit like the calm after the storm.
GateDrop: Simon was quite some years in the De Carli team – an Italian based team. How do they make you feel welcome under the awning?
Schmidt: Simon spent four years with De Carli in Italy. Just imagine: at only 17 years old, he moved alone to a foreign country where he didn’t speak the language and where everything was new to him. But the team welcomed him with openness and dedication from the very beginning. With the right people around him – fitness coach Giuseppe and his landlords Cecilia and Fabrizio, who became like grandparents to him – it was much easier for him to settle into life in Italy.
The team often went out to eat together, and both Davide and Claudio stayed in constant contact with Simon, always looking after him. Whenever he was injured, they never left his side. They never let him go to the hospital alone, and during surgeries they waited in his room until he woke up again. The fact that Simon learned Italian within just a few months was not only extremely helpful but also a sign of his appreciation and trust toward the team.
But De Carli didn’t welcome only Simon; they welcomed me into their family as well. We celebrated birthdays together and they were always there with open ears and thoughtful advice.
With this in mind, I want to once again express my heartfelt thanks to the entire team, for their endless support, their time and everything they have done for us. They made sure that in a foreign country, we never felt like strangers.
GateDrop: How did Simon handle the pressure of being in the MX2 World Championship fight this year?
Schmidt: He was genuinely relaxed about it. He took each race as it came and didn’t focus solely on the championship, because you don’t win a title only in the final race.
GateDrop: What is it like for you to support him on race weekends – are you more of a calming presence, or do you get nervous watching?
Schmidt: I always try to go into a race weekend as calmly as possible and put my full focus on the races. For me, it’s much easier to be there in person and be able to stand by him if needed, rather than sitting at home on the couch.
Until Simon heads to the start line, I try to project calmness. In the pit lane, when I’m there on my own, I do get a bit tense, but usually that feeling disappears shortly after the start.
We are the smallest team within the big team, so for me as his partner, it’s only natural to support him as best I can.
GateDrop: What was the toughest race or moment for you emotionally this season?
Schmidt: Probably the GP in the Netherlands. Simon had a good points lead, but because he got caught up in start crashes caused by other riders, he had to start almost from the back each time. As a result, the final results weren’t what we had hoped for, even though he rode incredibly well and made up many positions.
GateDrop: What’s Simon like away from the track that fans might not see? For me he’s still the same kid that raced the EMX125 class – he seems very nice and humble…
Schmidt: Simon is a lively and very intelligent person. He loves building things entirely on his own, like tables or cabinets and he often remembers even the smallest details. He is also incredibly appreciative. However, he always needs to be on the move and doing something, staying still just isn’t in his nature.
GateDrop: This year Simon seemed to spend most of his time in Germany – in the past he spent his time in Italy more with the team – was that nice for you guys to be in Germany more?
Schmidt: Simon spent most of last season in Italy. From time to time, we returned to Germany for a few training days, for example to take part in the ADAC MX Masters. We definitely spent more time in Germany than in previous years, but the team’s base was still in Italy.
GateDrop: After winning the title did you guys go on a nice, deserved holiday after a long season?
Schmidt: We had planned to fly away for a week of vacation, but after the MXoN in America, the focus was on rehabilitation first. Still, after such a long season, simply being at home felt really good.
GateDrop: Simon will run the #1 plate next year, what was your thoughts on him running #1 in 2026?
Schmidt: I think it’s absolutely right to race with the #1. Simon has worked so hard and so much for this title that he can truly be proud to carry the number one in the world!
GateDrop: Finally, how proud are you of everything Simon has achieved so far, and what do you think motivates him for the future?
Schmidt: I am very proud of him and of everything he has already achieved in his life. At the same time, I am grateful to be able to support him and to gain so many valuable experiences. You grow with your challenges and they teach you a lot about life. Simon is an extremely ambitious person, he is definitely hungry for more!
