After a strong start to the 2025 season as a privateer in MXGP, Valentin Guillod found himself at a crossroads. Rather than continuing to pour his own resources into Grand Prix racing, the Swiss talent decided to take a leap of faith and chase a long-held dream – competing in the United States. Within just days of making the decision, Guillod landed in America with no bike, no team, and little more than determination. But it didn’t take long for his efforts to pay off, as he linked up with Rock River Yamaha and impressed throughout the AMA Pro Motocross season, even earning a top ten overall in the standings.
We caught up with Guillod to reflect on his whirlwind year – from racing MXGP as a privateer to adapting to American life and tackling the challenges of AMA Nationals and the SMX series. The Swiss rider also shares his thoughts on the differences between Europe and the U.S., his gratitude to those who helped make his journey possible, and his future ambitions on both sides of the Atlantic.
GateDrop: Before we get into it, I believe you drove half of America with a pick up truck and your bike in the back to get to the MXoN – not exactly factory (laughs)…
Guillod: The thing is that I was at Club MX so south Carolina and on Monday I am planning on flying back home so I needed to pick up all my stuff as well as my practice bike. The plan was to bring back my practice bike but then the team wanted it so we had to find a solution. But it was okay, it was funny and a nice story (laughs).
GateDrop: Let’s go back to the start of the year. You’re racing MXGP, you have no ride. I was at the French GP to see the setup you had. Basically you, a couple of guys helping you. Can you just talk me through the start of your season?
Guillod: At the end of 2024, after finishing twice, 9th overall in the MXGP World Championship. I had no team deal for the 2025 season. Okay, I had one or two options, but I didn’t want to go there. So I told everyone that I’m making myself ready for the first few GPs. As a private guy, I will pay everything by myself. Doing it like this, I’m free of any contract and I was not hoping that someone get injured. But I said that if they need a rider who can race in top 10, I will be here to fill in a spot. I did some great results like in Argentina, 5th in the second race with a full stock bike. I also had some good top ten and top eight overalls. At the Swiss GP, I was feeling really good in second moto. I was in fifth and I was feeling that I can go for third and I gave everything in front of my home fans. Maybe I gave a bit too much and I crashed but I have no regrets with that.
GateDrop: I mean on your setup, it looked to be you and just a couple of people helping you. Were you even doing your own tyres and stuff? What was that like? Because you’re used to being with the team. So did it take a while to adjust to that? Did you enjoy any of it?
Guillod: I mean, my goal was to show that when a guy really wants to make results and do everything that he can in a good way, it’s possible to make some good stuff and to try and get some teams to open their eyes. If you take a rider like this, who is doing this… Then you make everything that he’s feeling good and working, making good job. There is possibility to make some good results.
GateDrop: After Switzerland, you had a decision to make? Continue racing GP’s or fly out to America? Well, in the end, why did you end up going the American route?
Guillod: Two days after a broken collarbone at Swiss GP, I got surgery. They removed the old plate, put a new plate. That meant that I missed the GP of Portugal and Spain. So I asked myself, what I’m going to do now? Do I keep spending this money to do GP’s? Or should I take this money and use it in the US? Eight or nine days before Pala, I took the decision to come over here to make a dream come true and it’s what I did. I landed here on the American soil one week before Pala on Saturday. I had no bike, nothing. I just was sleeping to a friend but finally on the Monday, I found a deal with Rock River Yamaha and then it was done, we go for it after that.
GateDrop: I mean, what was Pala like? Was it quite stressful? You didn’t exactly have that much time in the country to adjust to the heat and things like that. And then, I mean, were you scrambling around trying to even get a bike?
Guillod: The big thing was that I rode two times before Pala so the race was 30 days after the surgery. Even if you don’t really think about it, you know that you don’t want to crash on his shoulder. So for sure, you are a bit not 100% and then I was missing race time, practice time. Then learning some of the new tracks, a new style of racing… to adapt to the bike with these track conditions. So, it was many things together, but it was great. In Pala, in the first race, I finished 10th. Race two, 13th and 11th overall. It was a good beginning of the season.
GateDrop: Rock River Yamaha, they’re helping you. What’s the support been like with them? And I’m sure you’re pretty grateful because it was all last minute?
Guillod: I’m really thankful with Rock River Yamaha as well because the deal, it was like I came with some private sponsors. I also didn’t have the same gear deal as them. So they were giving bikes, parts, one mechanic and they put me just out of the team under their tent. They were really happy at the end of the season because we finished 9th overall and it’s the best result for them.
GateDrop: Just on the AMA Nationals in general, I mean, what’s the championship like? Are you enjoying it? And what would you say the differences are between that and MXGP?
Guillod: I mean, there’s many people who ask me but can we compare? I mean, now you know MXGP, you know outdoor, can you compare? I’m like, no, it’s really like two different worlds and I think we have to stop trying to compare between. I can say with the one day racing, it’s the best. You arrive Saturday morning, you give everything and then you go home so it’s really cool.
The tracks are like nice. They are prepped differently than in Europe. Also, now I can compare and confirm that here in Ironman for the Nationals, we came two months ago, beginning of August, and it was really not like this. Now it’s like really hard pack with almost no ruts. It is really fast and slippery. We didn’t have conditions like this when we came in for the AMA Pro Motocross series. We had a lot of deep ruts and bumps so that’s the big difference. Then with the the style of racing, they are really aggressive the first few laps but the tracks are also like more prepared.
GateDrop: Do the tracks allow you to be more aggressive? Whereas in Europe, you know, you have to ride with a bit more throttle control?
Guillod: I think it’s because the thing is here, the tracks are really large so then there are many possibilities to pass in one corner. I remember sometimes on the first lap in one corner, three guys passed me. At least in Europe, you never have this, you only have one possibility to pass. So it’s why they are really aggressive the first four or five laps. The level is really high and the guys are going really fast.
GateDrop: In terms of America, the country, what’s it been like for you living here? And do you miss anything? I’m sure your family and stuff that isn’t here so that must be quite tough?
Guillod: For sure. We always miss family, friends, girlfriend, everything. But to be honest, I’m really enjoying racing because it’s really awesome. I’m struggling a bit with the food, everyone knows that I like to eat good stuff but it’s like this. It’s a bit different but I deal with this. I did some good results and I have no regrets.
GateDrop: In terms of the competition, you were battling quite a lot with Jorge Prado and Benoit Paturel. Did it feel quite weird even battling with them and seeing them in the paddock on the other side of the world? Because you’re used to racing them in MXGP. Was it quite strange or not?
Guillod: What was really different is that now we are, the European guys here in the US and we are getting closer than we were when racing the GP’s. When we raced the GP’s we were not really speaking together. But here now we are European guys here and we are a bit more connected so that is cool.
GateDrop: In terms of the American fans, at the first round, did you feel like that many people knew you? And do you feel like now that’s helped because you’re doing so well in America?
Guillod: Yeah, for sure. I think in Millville when I finished sixth in the second race. I think there were some guys who were like, who is that guy with the three-digit number? What is he doing here at the front? They started to finally get to know me.
GateDrop: Just on SMX you got to experience that. I mean, what was that like? Have you done anything like that in the past? I am guessing not!
Guillod: No, it was really something new, you know. Just sitting on the bike, you have to go really hard on suspension, like supercross suspension. There is some big hidden sections, big jumps. It was something new and a new experience. It took me a bit of time to learn and to adapt. But I am really happy and proud of the race there.
GateDrop: Have you done much Supercross at the practice tracks? I mean, how did you enjoy that? I mean… It is totally different?
Guillod: The problem is we had only one free weekend between the last outdoor and the first SMX so I had only five days to ride before the Charlotte, which was the first SMX race. It took me three or four days to feel good and comfortable with the rhythm sections and then it was good. We rode on one SMX track and then we rode also on a Supercross track.
GateDrop: You’ve had a very, very long season because obviously you’ve been racing MXGP, AMA Nationals and then SMX. What’s the plan after the MXoN? Will you go home to Switzerland for a little bit and see friends and family? And then when will you get back to America?
Guillod: My goal is that Monday after the MXoN I’m planning to go back home to Switzerland. The goal is to have one month in Switzerland before coming back here to start getting ready for the supercross season.
GateDrop: That leads me nicely to my next question. It looks like you’ll be doing a full season of AMA next year, supercross and motocross?
Guillod: Yeah, yeah.
GateDrop: Do we know what bike you’ll race – a 250 or 400? Are you open for both options?
Guillod: Yeah, I’m open for both options. Now I’m speaking with a few teams. I hope in 10 days or two weeks, I will know more and we can announce what’s going to happen.
GateDrop: I mean, what would your thoughts be on racing a 450cc at supercross? I mean, the level is unbelievably high and you’ve never really raced it. Would you prefer to be on a 250?
Guillod: For sure to start with it’s maybe more easy to race 250cc. But I saw how I raced at the SMX events and I feel confident to be good on 450cc as well.
GateDrop: Let’s say if you do 250 Supercross, for the outdoors, would you want to be on a 450? Or would you be open to doing an outdoors 250 as well?
Guillod: Yeah, I’m open also to go outdoors with the 250cc, but it really depends on the contract. When you go outdoor with the 450cc and then qualify for SMX, there is more money at the end of the day. We will see, we have to speak about this to the few teams I am taking with.
GateDrop: Racing SMX, I think you made over 30 grand of prize money. Have you got a message to David Loungo? Should he change anything in the MXGP to help the riders? I seen you speaking to him yesterday, did you say anything about it?
Guillod: No, no I didn’t. I think what I said already for a few years in MXGP, they should do what they do in MotoGP, independent rider and independent team organization. This would be to help the private riders because the factory guys, they have a lot of money, they have good conditions and they have all what they need. But the private riders and the private teams, they should have a bit more help and I think it should be really nice to make one championship for them like they do in MotoGP. Then InFont can help them with money and prize money.
GateDrop: Do you see yourself ever coming back to MXGP, maybe in 2 or 3 years’ time or probably not?
Guillod: I do because on one side of my head, I would like to do one podium in MXGP. It’s one thing that I didn’t achieve in my time in the paddock. Why not come back in two or three years, but for the moment I’m focusing on America.
GateDrop: Just on Swiss talents coming up, we’ve got guys like Nico Greutmann and we’ve got Kevin Brumman, are you happy to see some young ones coming through from Switzerland and what are those guys like? Are you able to help them in any way?
Guillod: It’s really nice to see that we have a next generation. We also have Ryan Oppliger who is a very young rider and is very good. He is racing a 125cc at the moment before going to the 250cc. It’s nice to see that. With Nico, it’s his first MXoN event – like me 15 years ago, his first one is also in USA like me. It’s good and we try to help him, but today he did a good job and will continue to improve for the future.
