After a wild and unpredictable opening round of the 2025 British Championship, Josh Gilbert arrived at round two looking for a more composed and consistent weekend—and he got just that. The Lexa MX Honda rider delivered two solid third-place finishes to land on the podium, though the Brit admits there’s still more in the tank as he searches for that top step. We caught up with Gilbert to talk us through his day at round two and how things are progressing with his privateer setup. He also opens up about the struggles of racing with a thumb injury, the reality of competing as a non-factory rider in MXGP, and his excitement for the upcoming British Grand Prix at Matterley Basin.
GateDrop: Josh, the second round of the British Championship. After an unbelievably eventful round one, you must have just been happy to avoid the madness and come home with a podium at this round. Can you just talk me through your day?
Gilbert: Yeah, just a steady day with two-thirds. Definitely a lot less happening today, it was a bit more straightforward. Two good starts, I just was lacking a little bit really, we don’t want to just come here for a third place. You’re never 100% really pleased unless you’re on the top step of the box. But Conrad and Adam, they both rode well today. I had some serious arm pump in that first race from like the get-go. It’s just… I don’t know if it’s because of the track was very fast, but then it would turn on just a point, and I think that’s what made it so hard on the arms. To get the bike set up and just feel comfortable, because it was very, fast down the straight, then it was all turn on one little 180 and then back again. I’ve just been riding the GP tracks, you’ve always got a little bit more of a flow, even though they’re a lot more sketchy and a lot more technical. I don’t know if it’s a lack of not riding over here or not but we’re just going to have to hopefully find something in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully I can be 100% healthy with my thumb and everything, so I’ll just keep chipping away for the next few weeks.
GateDrop: They made some track changes to slow it down, which is in theory is good, but passing, it was, it was even harder that the GP track to pass on, and they’re quite hard to pass on…
Gilbert: Yeah, well, I didn’t really have that problem, I had two good starts so I didn’t have that problem. But yeah, it definitely would have made for some hard races or hard passing if you didn’t get a good start.
GateDrop: You are with the Lexa MX Honda team, back on a Honda this year, just how is all that going after being with the SS24 Gabriel KTM team last year?
Gilbert: Yeah, I mean, it’s a private setup, so it’s quite a lot different to what I’m used to but it’s going okay. I mean, they’re quite a new team, so we’re always learning. There’s just a few little things and we’re sort of struggling to get bikes at the moment. We’ve just been on the same two, the hours are clocking up, and they’re still standard. There’s just a few little things, but overall, it’s working okay. It’s such a big step for them to go to the GPs, it’s just a big learning curve. It’s not going too bad.
GateDrop: Speaking to you last year, I know how much you wanted to get an MXGP ride, so are you just thankful you were able to make it happen, because, I mean, it’s not easy, you’ve got Valentin Guillod riding his own Yamaha, and he was going to do the first five rounds with just one bike before he realised he needed two (laughs)…
Gilbert: Yeah, it is tough. I’m not sure if the gap’s actually getting bigger between the factory and a standard bike or being a privateer. To go GP racing, you’ve got to have almost like an endless budget. It’s hard, because people don’t really see what goes on behind the scenes, of trying to make everything happen. Everything’s got to fall into place and you can’t cut corners with the GP boys. It shows when the results aren’t coming, and it’s just a completely different level to the British.
GateDrop: Are you enjoying GPs, is it sort of your second full year at it, are you enjoying it? I mean, people probably say you’re finishing between anywhere, sort of between 16 and 24, and think it’s rubbish, but people don’t understand how tough it is, eh?
Gilbert: Yeah, it was actually funny, because me and Adam were talking after the last race at Lugo. We’re fighting for 19 and 20, and there’s only 23 or 24 riders but if you chucked in another 20 people, you’d still probably be in front of them, and then it when you’ve got 40 on the line, and then you finish 20, it makes you look so much better. But people then look at the results, and there’s only, like, 23, 24, and you’re 20, and they’re like, it’s crap, but I’m actually quite happy with how I rode, and, like I said, again, if you put some more people in there, the chances are they wouldn’t finish in front of you, and then you look good. I have been enjoying it, but it’d be nice to have a dry GP.
GateDrop: I was going to ask you about that, is it normal for you guys to ride those muddy conditions now, do you enjoy it at all, or? (laughs)
Gilbert: I’ve got used to it now. In all seriousness, because I tore a ligament in my thumb in Switzerland, it’s been a bit of a struggle since then. I’ve been struggling to ride in the week, and to even get through a weekend, and when I went to Portugal, because I think we had a weekend off after Switzerland, so I didn’t ride until the Tuesday before Portugal, and it was still not great. Anyway, we got through it, if it wasn’t for Portugal being wet, I actually think I’d have really struggled, because when the track was fast in the morning, I just wanted to take my hand off the handlebars.
Then Lugo, it was like hitting curbs, if that’s the way to describe it, and Saturday I was struggling with that also. When it actually rained, and it slowed the tempo down, it kind of helped me a little bit because I ended up 19-17, two points scoring rides again in Lugo, so I don’t actually know if I would have managed two points scoring rides with my thumb if it was dry. After Portugal my thumb was done.
GateDrop: How’s the thumb now, I’m assuming it’s not a hundred percent, but hopefully it will be soon – are you going to ride before France?
Gilbert: Yeah, I will ride, I rode this week. It’s not quite 100 percent, There were some harsh bumps here today down the hills, that’s when my thumb really does feel it. But it’s getting much better, and today I could ride nearly pain free, it’s not bothering me too much.
GateDrop: The British Championship, obviously, new promoter this year, how do you think it’s all going? It seems to be positive, I mean, the live stream is good.
Gilbert: Yeah, I mean, I haven’t really looked at the live stream, but it seems to be good, they’re doing the best they can. It’s quite professional this year and I think it’s looking good.
GateDrop: It’s not too long to the British GP, is that one you look forward to? I’m sure you look forward to that one at the start of the year, racing in front of your own crowd, and there was a good crowd here today, so hopefully we get big numbers at Matterley…
Gilbert: It’s always a good crowd here. You can’t beat your home GP, and, and actually Matterley’s one of my favourite tracks too, so I haven’t ridden there in quite a while. I was in America for a year, and I’m not sure when exactly but, I haven’t ridden there in probably four years or so. I’m looking forward to getting back there, because I always enjoy it there.
