He might be 36 years old but he’s certainly not showing too many signs of slowing down as Max Nagl clinched another ADAC MX Masters title this year – that is his sixth title. This year was a change for Nagl as he made the switch to KMP Honda but the move has worked out great.
After clinching the title we decided to catch up with him to discuss his amazing career and a range of topics.
You can listen or read below:
GateDrop: Max, I don’t know how you do it! 36 years old and watching you race the ADAC MX Masters, you are still flying! You won yet another title at the weekend… What’s your secret to being so fast and how did it feel to clinch another title?
Nagl: Actually it is not easy to be still in this shape at a high age. I have to really put a lot of effort into it during the winter and the whole year. Actually I am doing almost the same training program as I was doing before in MXGP when I was still racing the World Championship. But it is getting more difficult, especially the recover, it is more and more of a challenge for me after the races. I still enjoy a lot what I am doing and that’s why it is not a big problem for me still to put that much effort in.
It is amazing, it is now the sixth title I have in this ADAC MX Masters Championship. It is getting more and more of a challenge every year. More and more GP riders that decide not to race the GP’s anymore start racing in the ADAC and more of the youth riders are coming up. The competition is getting stronger and stronger at the moment every year.
GateDrop: I remember watching Dreetz last year and it was rough but this year it looked really gnarly and almost as deep as Lommel but you seemed to love it out there and simply dominated. It must have felt great to win the title in style?
Nagl: Of course, I mean first of all, I am living in Belgium now for many years so I am practicing at Lommel and these kind of tracks a lot. I am really used to the rough sand tracks. This year, Dreetz was more rough, yes, because some riders were complaining last year it was too flat and they were working too much on the tracks. Now this year they didn’t do almost anything, only the jumps but like I said, I am just used to it because I am living in Lommel.
GateDrop: You made the switch to KMP Honda this year after a number of years on KTM/Husqvarna machinery, what was it like getting back on a Honda – from memory the last time you raced one was when you were a fully factory Honda rider in MXGP…
Nagl:Â Yes, that is true. Actually most of the time of my career I spent on a KTM or Husqvarna but it was a great bike and a great time but it was getting a bit boring for me. I had been there for so many years and I wanted to get a new challenge so that is why I decided to find a Japanese bike and with KMP Honda, I could find the best solution.
I still remember from 2013 and 2014, when I was a factory rider for HRC Honda. The bike suits me really well because the bike is a little bit smaller than a KTM and I am quite a small guy so it was just a perfect match.
GateDrop: Looking back at your career, I remember you were racing for your Dad’s team in Ireland back in the day and then you were a factory rider quite quickly. What was it like making that step up in your career and being a full factory rider at a reasonable young age in the main class?
Nagl:Â I mean, I guess for most Motocross riders, it is their dream to become once in their life a factory rider. I could make it quite early because I was immediately feeling comfortable on the big bike, the 450cc. I made the swap really early to the big category, MX1 it was called at that time. Then with KTM I got the factory deal in 2008 and then I could stay with them (factories) all my career, it was a great time.
GateDrop: You won your first GP overall at Faenza in 2008 and went 1-1. Do you remember how it felt to win your first overall – it must have felt amazing!
Nagl: It was amazing and it was a big surprise because nobody expected anything like this, not even myself because you had to ride against guys like Josh Coppins at that time and big hero’s from that era. I was still a really young guy and I won both moto’s with almost half a minute in front. Still to this day, I don’t know how I did it (laughs). I just remember I had a really good bike, a really strong engine and with Faenza with all the up hills, it was just great to ride the bike there. It was the last race of the season so it was the perfect ending.
GateDrop: Back when you were racing, there wasn’t as much focus on the EMX championships – what was it like being a young rider trying to make a name for yourself? These days with the EMX championships heavily focusing on youth I think makes things easier as all eyes is on them every weekend racing the same weekends as the MXGP stars…
Nagl:Â Yeah, it was a big difference in my youth because the European championships were completely separate from the World Championship. It was different races, different places and it was not that famous. Still it was the category under the MXGP but nobody was really interested in it, like the big teams. You always had to prove and show yourself at the GP races to maybe get in a good spot in a good team. These days, the riders can show it already in the EMX to maybe get a factory deal the year after in the World Championship.
GateDrop: When you look back at your career you raced for most factory teams – KTM, Honda, Husqvarna and TM and you won GP’s, lots of podiums – you must look back very proud of your career of what you achieved when you look back?
Nagl: Yes, yes. Actually I could achieve everything except the World Championship in the MXGP category. I was third in the championship, I was second, we won with team Germany the Nations title. Only the title for myself I was missing, I was close in 2015, I was leading the championship with 50 points ahead but then broke my ankle in Teutschenthal, that was my biggest chance. But that was the only thing that I couldn’t achieve in my career.
GateDrop: When you were at Factory KTM, you had a young Antonio Cairoli join you as a team mate under the awning, what was it like having him under the awning? Back then none of us knew what he’d go onto achieve…
Nagl: Yeah, how should I say it, in 2009, he was on Yamaha and I was KTM and we both raced for the title. He was world champion and I was second and for the year after in 2010, they took him to KTM next to me. The problem was, it was normally the KTM factory from Austria but then the whole team swapped to Italy to de Carli so actually I was transferred from my home to Italy. I was not feeling so comfortable with it at that time so it was a big challenge for me to find my place there.
GateDrop: In 2015, the hype was real with Ryan Villopoto coming to race MXGP… everyone was talking about Villopoto V Cairoli but you had other ideas. Wow, you were so good at the beginning of that year on the Husqvarna… After 9 rounds you had the red plate and looked so so good. I think that year was your best ever. What was different about that year and how did it feel to be right at the front and have the red plate?
Nagl: Yeah, it’s true, that was actually my best year. The two points were: first of all, the 2015 Husqvarna bike, I think it was the best bike ever I rode, in that year it was such a good bike. Later they changed the bike, in 2016 they were coming with brand new bikes and 2017 too and it was a struggle for me. But the 2015 bike was so much better.
The second thing was, like you said the hype over the winter. Everyone only talked about Cairoli and Villopoto… nobody was talking about other riders or myself. This put me into a real motivation position, I wanted to show for myself, not for the people outside but for myself that I am able to race with them, especially Cairoli and Villopoto and that is why I was really pushing it. It paid off actually until Teutschenthal.
GateDrop: You then got injured at Germany which was round ten and from memory it was such an unlucky start crash… how difficult was that to deal with? Just when it was looking like your year, boom, season over… it must have been pretty heart breaking….
Nagl:Â Yeah, it was terrible. I mean it was also at my home GP, it was on Saturday in the qualifying race. It was just a small tip over, a small crash but then one rider ran over my ankle. It got broken so immediately on Saturday evening to hospital for an operation to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Even missing the GP in Teutschenthal and then the next GP in Kegums, I was still leading the championship so there was still a chance. I wanted to take it but the operation wasn’t made really well at that time. The healing took way longer than expected and then the season was over.
GateDrop: Your last full factory ride in MXGP was with Factory TM in 2018, what was it like being part of that team and what was the bike like? I did an interview with Shaun Simpson and he said the communication was quite tricky… how was your experience with TM?
Nagl: Honestly, for me, the team was the best team I ever rode in my career. It was such like a family atmosphere and such nice people I had at that time. The team was amazing. The bike, when I changed to TM, everybody said that was the end because nobody believed in TM and that it is a good bike. I believed in it and actually I was really surprised when I did my first testing days in Italy.
Immediately I said that I wanted to go for it so we made the contract, did some testing and we could get the bike to a really good level and a really good stage. With this bike we also had a lot of good results in the GP’s and I won a lot of ADAC races too. Actually, it was a really good year I had with TM and if I would have the chance, I’d do the same because it was really a great time.
GateDrop: Just on German MX, after Roczen burst onto the scene it didn’t look like there was a big talent coming after him, Brian Hsu didn’t quite work out but now we have Simon Längenfelder who I think is really under rated and still only 19 years old. What’s your thoughts on him as a rider?
Nagl:Â With Simon it is great to have another German rider, finally. After Kenny and myself, there was a gap, there was nobody from Germany. Now at least we have one upcoming rider and in MX2 he is doing a really good job now. He still has two or three years to go in MX2 having the chance to fight for a title. When he moves up to MXGP, we have to see if he is capable of riding the big bike fast like he does now and if he can compete with the big guys. But at the moment he is doing a great job.
GateDrop: I was parked beside you at the RedBud MXoN last year and when we were leaving you had mentioned it’s probably your last MXoN and that looks to be the case. On the German team this year, did you get contacted to race? Yourself, Roczen and Längenfelder would have been an amazing team on paper but I’m sure you have your reasons…
Nagl: Actually, they contacted me at the beginning of the year, begging actually to race the MXoN. I said: give me a little bit of time, I need to see how the racing will go with the Honda. I found out quickly that the Honda suits me really well so I told them, yes I will go and race the Nations. The decision was actually made but then at one point they changed their decision. It wasn’t my decision, they called me out of the German team, I don’t know which reason why, actually. Today, I don’t know…
Koch is racing, but for me it is fine because he also deserves to race there, he is doing really well in MXGP this year so it is good for him to get the chance to ride. I have done the Nations now for 19 years so this would have been my 20th, so it is not a disaster for me not to race there anymore (laughs).
GateDrop: It’s good to know you were open for racing the event this year, would you keep the door open for 2024, if you are racing competitively and they asked you to go?
Nagl: It depends also where it is, I don’t know yet…
GateDrop: I think Matterley Basin…
Nagl: Ah yeah, I did hear something about that. That is a nice place, a nice track. Yeah, I am always open for it if I am still physically in a good shape then yes. If I am not feeling 100% then I wouldn’t do it anymore.
GateDrop: 36 years old, but still flying, not going to lie, I would love to see you do at least one more MXGP before you retire – is that possible you could do a wildcard maybe next year? And just on MXGP, what’s your thoughts on the level?
Nagl: Yeah… not really. They tried already last year to get me at least to Teutschenthal and also this year. But I am not interested because first of all I am riding at a high age, I would be the oldest rider. I had my career in MXGP, there is nothing left to prove anymore. Even if I could make a top ten result, which would be possible and great, what is the return for me?
If you are a young rider, you have to take any chance you can get but for me? Even if I made a fifth or sixth place or whatever, it doesn’t bring anything. You don’t get anything for it, you know? On Monday everybody has already forgot about it. You have to put a lot of costs and effort into one GP so that is why I’m not interested.
GateDrop: Just on 2024, will you continue to race in Germany and if so how many more years do you see yourself going for? You are still fast and you seem to be enjoying it…
Nagl: At the moment, I take it year by year. All the contracts that I make it’s only a one year contract so at any time I can decide, okay it’s done and I am going to stop. I haven’t signed my new contract yet for next year but Honda want to continue in the German championship like this year and some International races. Soon I will take my decision but I guess I will do another year.
GateDrop: A few years ago you started some coaching, with Kevin Brumann when he started to make a name for himself in the EMX125 class, do you see yourself staying in the sport after you retire to coach the next generation?
Nagl: That is true. I was really into a lot the last two years but now I have reduced it a little bit because it was getting too much for me with the trainings with all the guys and still training and preparing myself for the races. I was a little bit running on the edge so now I take one or two riders and not more. But later when I am completely done with my riding then I am seeing myself doing a bit more, yeah.
Interview: Andy McKinstry
