Obviously, the big news this week was the fact Jeffrey Herlings will more than likely miss a handful of races at the start of the 2025 season and that blows nearly any chance of him winning a sixth World title this year.

Even sadder news was the fact, if he cannot find a contact for next year and this year being his final year on his KTM contact, he might even end his career come Darwin, Australia in September.

For what “The Bullet” has given the sport over the last 15 years, I don’t think anyone really wants to see him retire without getting a shot at that sixth World title and just for highlight value, we all want Herlings on the gate in 2026. He isn't done yet, as he showed us in 2024.

Now, while most of us are devastated with this news, I decided to give Joel Smets a call, the team manager of the Red Bull KTM team effort and of course a five time World champion himself, to ask his opinion on the Herlings news and also if there is any possibility of Herlings racing the AMA Nationals, if he misses too many rounds of the MXGP title chase.

It is a long interview, that we will run early next week, but for now, here are a couple the questions to Smets, about Herlings and his future.

MXLarge: Tell me, obviously, tough times for KTM and Jeffrey’s news makes these times even tougher. For most of the motocross fans, its 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.

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