For the 2023 season, Henry Jacobi is back with a German team and a team he knows very well in the form of Sarholz KTM as he’s been with them in the past and had some good years with them. This pre-season, Jacobi is looking good back on the KTM and whilst his main focus will be on the ADAC MX Masters championship he will still race selected MXGP events where he’ll want to be competitive to try and get back in the paddock on a full time basis.
We caught up with Jacobi after Hawkstone International to discuss being back with Sarholz KTM, being team mates with Adam Sterry again and more.
GateDrop: Henry, I think that was your third pre-season race, different conditions here at Hawkstone compared to the first two in Italy. Overall, I think it was a solid day, you must be pretty pleased to have three solid races ahead of your season…
Jacobi: The positives are that I did three solid moto’s. I didn’t crash or do any big mistakes, we still have things to work on. Since timed practice, I cramped up a little bit and had some arm pump. To get rid of this over the course of the day was quite difficult so all three races I struggled with arm pump. In the first race, I had it a lot. In the second race, the first five laps were really good, I stayed with Jeffrey and Glenn but then I got arm pump and almost couldn’t hold onto the handlebars but it’s a preseason race and it’s cold. I think everybody deals with those problems but for the rest it is good. The bike is good and took three good starts, it was pretty solid.
GateDrop: Just on your winter and off-season, did anything change this year compared to previous years? I know you are back working with Christophe Selent… I also know someone that saw you at Redsand and they told me you’re as quick as anyone round there so you must be going well!
Jacobi: We stayed in Redsand for almost the whole of January, around three weeks I guess. I am back working with Christophe as a trainer and riding coach but obviously this is nothing too new. We stayed since the beginning of my MX2 career together (except for last year). For the rest, not too many new things, except for the team, mechanic and stuff like that. I didn’t change a lot for the winter.
GateDrop: You are back with Sarholz KTM, a team you know well as you were with them at the start of your EMX career, is it nice being back at the team?
Jacobi: That is right, I stayed for quite a lot of years with Sarholz KTM. I know all the people, the boss and everybody so it is familiar. But it is also something new because I’ve a new mechanic, a new 2023 KTM bike so it changed a little bit but still it is nice being back with a German team as a German rider. The support from German people is really good.
GateDrop: Since the start of your MX2 GP days, you’ve been used to being a GP rider but this year it’s a change of plan as you won’t be a full time MXGP rider, what’s that like for the motivation? Is it strange knowing you won’t line up at all the GP’s?
Jacobi: The motivation is good enough to be able to go and do some GP’s. The GP’s that I will go to, I would like to have the same results that I had back in the good years, I want to fight to be in the top ten like always. It is difficult at the GP’s but I think I am capable of it and I’ll make the best out of it.
GateDrop: Just on GP’s, they’re dropping the entry fees to help the team so there’s a little bit of progress, what would you like to see them doing so guys like you can get the rides?
Jacobi: Well, this is a hard question. I think we’d need to do a one hour podcast but I think they’re doing quite well to help the riders at least a little bit but you know, there’s still like 100 different things where they could work so the riders could make some money when they score GP World Championship points.
GateDrop: You are back to being team mates with Adam Sterry, are you back to being buddies again after what happened in Germany?
Jacobi: Yeah, we were quite good friends before then I think it was like one month but we were back playing Call of Duty together since one month after the incident.
Interview: Andy McKinstry
Image: Leigh Wootton
