Áron Katona has made an impressive start to his 2025 EMX125 campaign, already proving himself as a serious contender in the highly competitive class. The young Hungarian talent recently grabbed his first moto win, showcasing his skill and determination despite challenging track conditions. In this interview, Katona reflects on his victory, lessons learned from the previous round, and his ambitions for the rest of the season. He also shares insights into his journey from Hungary to the European motocross scene and the hard work behind his rapid rise.
GateDrop: Áron, here we are in pretty tough conditions, but you made them look easy. How does it feel to win at this level, probably the biggest moto win of your career so far?
Katona: It’s an unbelievable feeling. The track was actually nice, I liked it, I had the flow and everything. It is an unbelievable feeling, and also on the podium for the first time, unbelievable feeling.
GateDrop: How did yesterday compare to today, obviously the track was quite a bit different…
Katona: It was much different, actually today it was a bit deeper, so you couldn’t ride in the lines. It was kind of flowy yesterday and was really slippery, I had some problems with it, but it was okay.
GateDrop: How were the last few laps there today, did you get nervous at all, or did you try and not think about it?
Katona: I had to calm down, I wanted it really bad also, so I had to keep under control. I think I had the speed so I was kind of relaxed and everything, and that’s the finish line.
GateDrop: At Cozar, you were riding so well as well, it looked like you could have done the same there, but obviously then you crashed. How annoyed were you at yourself for that, because it looked like you had the win in the bag?
Katona: Yeah, I mean it was a funny crash actually, I was also laughing at myself. I got really nervous and everything, but I just let it go, and I just focused on this weekend.
GateDrop: Even though that happened at Cozar, did you learn anything?
Katona: Yeah, of course, I learned a lot from this weekend, and also the last weekend. I will bring it to Riola and we will see what’s next.
GateDrop: How was your winter, obviously last year was your first season in the EMX125 class, so you sort of knew what to expect… You got a factory team, just how was your winter?
Katona: An unbelievable feeling again, it’s such a good team. I’m really thankful for that. Yeah, it’s unbelievable.
GateDrop: What were your goals coming into this season? I mean it looks like you’re a title challenger, did you expect that coming into the season?
Katona: I mean I knew I had the speed, but I didn’t come in with the attitude, I have to win or something. I just keep it as fun as possible, and we will see what we end up with at the end of the season.
GateDrop: Thomas Traversini, what’s it like working with him, did you spend much time with him in the winter? He obviously has a lot of experience in helping young talent…
Katona: Yeah, he taught me many things to learn from, and I’m really thankful for that also. He’s a really good team manager, I can say.
GateDrop: Coming from Hungary, it’s not easy to come from there… You still live there and have to travel to all the races, is that tough? It’s a lot of kilometers, especially for your dad…
Katona: I mean it’s hard for my dad, for me I can actually relax in my bed and everything. But I still live in Hungary, it’s my country and everything. I’m also still 14 years old, so we are not planning to move anywhere. You have to do it from the heart. The country is really far from everywhere, and it’s not famous for the Motocross. I had the goal and everything, I worked for it, and I keep on working.
GateDrop: You’ve got Noel Zanocz and yourself, it’s like the latest generation from Hungary. You are both very fast, so you must be proud to be part of this generation. Hopefully the future is bright for both of you… You could help put your country on the map in motocross…
Katona: I really hope we will have a bright future, like both of us. And I hope also our country will be happy with this… Because we will give it our best in the races and everything.
GateDrop: What are your goals for the rest of the season? You’ve got a podium, I guess you want to win?
Katona: Of course, everybody wants to win. It depends who wants it the most and how they work. My plan is to win the championship, I really want it. I will keep up the work and everything. I hope nothing will come between these times. We will see.
