Red Bull KTM team manager Joel Smets might have the demands of running the Red Bull KTM Factory team, but for the Belgian legend, a five time World motocross champion, his enjoyment for the sport and his love of Grand Prix motocross makes his job as much fun, as it is hard work.

We spoke to Joel last week and ran a short part of this interview but wanted to run the full interview as we lead into Argentina this weekend. We spoke about Jeffrey Herlings and his injury, the red hot MXGP rookie, Lucas Coenen, about the financial situation with KTM. With Tim Gajser going for a sixth World title this year and the chance to match Joel Robert for that number of titles, we also spoke about some of the legends of the sport.

MXLarge: Tell me, obviously, tough times for KTM and Jeffrey’s news makes these times even tougher. For most of the motocross fans, it’s tough to hear his chances of winning a sixth World title in 2025 seem to be nearly gone, but what is your opinion of the injury and time frame for a comeback?

Smets: Well, what can I say Geoff, for everybody it is sad, but what can I say, you cannot change it. We evaluate week after week and with this injury, it isn’t like a broken bone. With a broken bone, you can put a date on it, and then we start riding, but with an ACL, it isn’t like that. We recently had the same with Marco Rossi also and if you hear Jett’s situation, they also don’t put a timeframe on his return. They say the minimum the doctor talks about it four months, but is it going to be four months, or is it going to be five months? In case of an ACL, you can always take a risk, after four months, the pain is fine, you will be able to ride, but the strength of the ACL, which is built in, is not the same for everyone and you cannot see on MRI’s, how strong it is. It has a strength, but you don’t know the risk of it snapping again. Of course, even with a healthy ACL, it can snap, but that is difficult to judge. Some people ride after three months, but some ride after five months with less success. It is up to the athlete, not just physically, but also mentally, when is he willing to do it.

MXLarge: I know the current situation with KTM, both in Europe and America is different and the current situation for KTM in Austria isn’t great, but has there been any talk of Jeffrey moving to race the AMA Nationals, if his chances of winning in Europe are gone?

Smets: We have always had these stories and that always comes up, but at the moment, and with the financial situation, not yet, but I do not say it won’t come up, because, for sure, at some stage if might come up, but at the moment, no. As you know, we have Chase and Aaron and normally with both we can score podiums and we won the championship with Chase last year, so there isn’t a high need to put another rider there, so for now, it isn’t on the table, yet.

MXLarge: The situation with KTM, it’s a very sad one and I have actually had contact with a couple of people I know from KTM, for some time now and they left last week, which is very sad, but do you know more about the situation?

Smets: No, most likely, you know more details than I do. I am not interested, and I cannot change it, and I have no influence on the situation, and I don’t want to spend one minute of my time on it, because I cannot change it and it’s a waste of energy. On internet, you can look at a lot of information about the situation and a lot of that information is public, like the share holders reports and stuff like that. The one who knows about that, you already mentioned his name (Herlings) and he knows all the details about it. Does that matter, or make him heal quickly, I don’t believe so. Of course, in his case, it makes a difference, because he is in a contract year, that of course changes a little bit, but in my case, the less I know about it, the better it is. The less I am stressed, and I am doing my work.

MXLarge: As a former racer for KTM, with a long history, it must be difficult to understand?

Smets: I am sad with the situation, because I have a history of more than 30 years with KTM. I signed my first contract with Mr Pierer more than 30 years ago and I have always been proud of those 10 or 11 years I spent with the company as a rider, where I was the first rider for KTM to win a championship on the modern 4-stroke. So, I was always proud to let’s say, one of the co-founders, that has built the success of KTM, so, I am really sad what is happening now, and it touches my heart. It isn’t just business; I feel connected to orange, and it hurts. That is one side, but on the other side, I am sad and disappointed in our board, how this could happen, but on the other, I am grateful I can still do what I love, but lets say, I could be out of a job, or the link with KTM could have been gone. We all know nothing lasts forever and I know this year I am KTM, but maybe next year I am doing something else.

MXlarge: The idea of working for another brand would be difficult I imagine?

Smets: You know me also for 30 years Geoff and you know I am not a job hopper, and I am loyal and that is also why it hurts. That brings me back to Jeffrey, it also makes me sad that he is injured and the chance to fight for the championship with him, is going to be very, very small. I had hoped, after my two years with Jorge and winning the championships, that I was going to fight for the championship again in MXGP.

MXLarge: I don’t know if you will work with Lucas at all.

Smets: No.

MXlarge: Well, I want to ask you anyway about him. What an amazing talent he is. I watched the two Italian races, and he looked very fast, sometimes a little wild, and a very different style to anyone on the 450, but you as a former World champion, what is your opinion of him?

Smets: From the 250, he has his own style and for me, it hasn’t changed a lot now he is on the 450 and I agree, he has his own style, and I wouldn’t like to call it weird, or different. His position on the bike is not too bad. He definitely also on the 450 has a lot of potential, but what you cannot buy is experience and even if he and Sasha are smart kids, I mean, I don’t call myself stupid and I have also been to school and okay, they haven’t been to school so much, but experience, you cannot buy at school, so they are intelligent enough, but experience stands alone from intelligence. We saw him in Mantova and you can see the desire and the ambition, the drive, the heart, everything is there, but a 450 is even less forgiving and he made some mistakes in Mantova, because of his enthusiasm and not being experienced enough and not being calculated enough. That is normal for that age, but he is going to have to be way more careful on the 450, that is clear. The 450 is way less forgiving than the 250.

MXLarge: I was really looking forward to Tim versus Jeffrey and we won’t get that now for the first few rounds, which could make a championship battle difficult. Fighting for that sixth championship, because whoever gets it, joins Joel Robert, your hero with six titles and both would have more GP wins than Joel, which takes them to third place in the all-time list. What is your opinion of them passing Joel for third in the all-time list?

Smets: Yes, but how should I say this. I think, for me, that doesn’t change a lot, which ranking. Jeffrey was busy with those numbers and so was Stefan, but for me, that doesn’t change my opinion or point of view on people. I think our sport has a lot of big heroes and big personalities and just because they are not in the top five of the all-time ranking, that they are no big stars or big heroes for people. Just to name a few of them, Torsten Hallman had four World championships, Harry Everts has four championships, Hakan Carlqvist had three or four championships, Heikki Mikkola. It isn’t because they don’t have five or six championships, that they haven’t meant a lot for the sport. I only named a few, but even J. M. Bayle is not on the all-time list, and he had a big influence on the motocross in Europe, let’s say. Whether Tim or Jeffrey win six or seven or just win the five they now have, they are already big heroes of the sport.

MXLarge: It is funny, because Dave Thorpe has a similar opinion. I guess its like a former racer/champions opinion, compared to people like me, who are just fans?

Smets: Dave Thorpe, a perfect example, three 500cc championships in that era of Geboers, Malherbe, Jobe, Carlqvist. Me, Georges (Jobe), Eric (Geboers), Jeffrey (Herlings), Roger (De Coster), we have five World Championships, but I don’t see a difference between us and Dave, or Malherbe, or Harry Everts and Hallman. Even Graham Noyce only has won championship, but he was a big character in our sport. We all did okay.

MXLarge: And of course, Robert races a lot less GPs than the other guys from this era, so his 50 is worth more than if you win 50 GPs now, with 20 rounds now. I think in Roberts time it was eight or 12 GPs a year.

Smets: Yes, its true and that is also why I don’t want to compare them.

MXlarge: I totally agree. I do love all the statistics, but I totally agree with what you are saying. Last question, because of the situation with Jeffrey and his injury, your main goal for 2024 must turn to the MX2 class. What do you see happening there?

Smets: Yes, I think, MX2 has always been interesting, but in the past, we had Tom and Jago fighting for the championship, but now, it looks interesting. I think it will be very open. Maybe Kay is the main favourite, and he is the five star favourite, but some guys who are four-star champions and it’s going to be interesting.