At the age of 37, Max Nagl (D/KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek) is the first person to win the title in the ADAC MX Masters class for the third time in a row. With his fifth championship in the series, he draws level with the current record holder Dennis Ullrich (D/KTM Sarholz Racing Team), although Nagl has won the title of International German Motocross Champion several times. But title records are not his motivation, as Nagl revealed in the Champions interview.

Congratulations on your fifth ADAC MX Masters title, which you secured early in Jauer. How do you feel or is it already routine?

“No, it will never be routine. The whole thing starts in the winter, the preparation has to go well and this time it was really good. My goal was to win as many races as possible at the start of the season to gain a points advantage. The plan worked perfectly and that meant I was able to minimize the risk when driving a little at the end. And that worked really well. Of course, I would have liked to have had more overall victories after winning all four in the first half of the season and only failing to win one race. A line never always goes up in a season, at some point there is always a bit of a slump, including mine. Luckily, it came relatively late, so I was far enough ahead in the championship that I could manage my lead.”

With your fifth ADAC MX Masters title, you have drawn level with the previous record holder Dennis Ullrich, you even have one more International German Motocross Championship and you were the first to win the ADAC MX Masters three times in a row. How important are such records to you?

“As a racing driver, you live in the moment and at the moment it is not important to me. But later, in ten years or so, you will of course like to look back on things like that and see your successes in the numbers. And then, I think, it is something special and you realise what you have achieved. At the moment I'm just doing my job as well as I can and the numbers don't matter to me."

You're 37 years old now, but you've had perhaps the strongest season of recent years. What made you so strong this year?

"In addition to the good preparation in the winter, it was an advantage that we got the technical problems from 2023 under control, which are normal after the brand change and for which no one was to blame. So we didn't have a technical defect this year, in any race. That's a huge plus, of course. The team tries to improve the bike a little bit every year. I give team boss Alex Karg feedback on it after every weekend. That meant he was able to fulfill my wish for a little more power without us going over the technical limit and risking a failure. The team did an absolutely mega job and the combination with my experience gave us the advantage that things went so well this year. And I took more risks at the start of the season than last year because I really wanted to win overall.”

What was your personal highlight race of the season?

“My personal highlight was Vellahn. It was a new track for everyone and so the conditions were the same for everyone, so no one had any advantages or disadvantages. I was able to win all three races there relatively “easily”. I just got on really well with the track and had a lot of fun driving because it was very technical and the ground conditions were difficult. And winning all three races at the weekend is always extremely difficult.”

And which race would you most like to forget?

“Unfortunately, I have to say Gaildorf. But it’s been like that for the last three years, I haven’t been able to get anything together. But that’s not because of Gaildorf itself, it’s because I just can’t seem to get on with the track at all. The way it is and the ground conditions or how it is prepared, it just doesn't suit me, for whatever reason. No matter how hard I try to prepare for it, somehow it doesn't really work. But I try to limit the damage there and lose as few points as possible."

Which event did you like best overall this season?

"Regardless of my result, I liked Holzgerlingen the most. I think the atmosphere is best there because people can stand closest to the track. Especially on the meadow slope, you only pass the spectators a few meters away. Maybe it's because it was also the final."

With Vellahn, there was a new track on the calendar. Would you welcome more new events?

"Yes, definitely, I would welcome that very much. New tracks always give you a new incentive as a driver and the teams are also happy when they come to a new location. Having something new motivates you even more. As far as I know, there are also many interested clubs who know how good the series is in Europe."

Which driver surprised you the most in the 2024 season?

"Cornelius Töndel is a new addition. He is a very nice guy, a fair driver and is really fast. When he has to, he also rides hard, but as I said, fairly. He surprised me with how well he did, so he's a really top guy."

If you could wish for one thing for the 2025 ADAC MX Masters season, what would it be?

Everything is great as it is at the moment. On Saturday, as a Masters rider who qualifies directly, you have a very long break between qualifying and the first run. But I'm aware that it's difficult to get everything under one roof in four classes. Since I'm getting so old now, we could shorten the distances for the three runs by five minutes... no, that's just kidding, of course!"

For some time now, you've been deciding from year to year whether you'll continue as a professional. Can you reveal anything yet or should we expect another team change for motivation?

"As you get older, you always need new motivation. I will decide relatively soon whether I hang up my helmet or continue to ride. But if I continue, then a change of team is definitely not an option for me. The current constellation, including with Honda Germany, is so good that I definitely don't want to leave. I am currently in negotiations with KMP and Honda and we are trying to put together a package that suits all parties. If we succeed in doing that, I can imagine that there will be another season for me. We will see that in the next few weeks. I am still motivated and still feel young enough. Maybe it helps that I have always felt like I was three years younger in terms of biological age, haha."

Would it be a motivation for you to become the sole record holder with six titles in the ADAC MX Masters to continue for another year?

"No, that plays a minor role, but I really have to find something to motivate me if I add another year. I'm not sure what that could be yet, but I need it to motivate myself over the long winter and to train the same way as last winter in order to start the season as strong as ever. But I'll find that when the time comes. It's quite possible that I'll roll to the starting gate again in 2025."

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