Reigning champions in at least one of the two principal classes of the FIM Motocross World Championship for the eighth year in a row, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will charge into the fresh MXGP season with the same four-rider line-up as 2023 and with the latest generations of the KTM 450 SX-F and KTM 250 SX-F ready for action.
Pre-season races, tests and the final phases of preparation lay ahead for Red Bull KTM in the build-up to the Grand Prix of Argentina on March 10th and the first of 20 events that will culminate with the final round at an unconfirmed location on September 29th.
All eyes will be on the progress of reigning MX2 world champion Andrea Adamo as the 20-year-old Italian aims to be the fourth rider since the beginning of the last decade to go ‘back-to-back’ with MX2 titles, and following in the tracks of Marvin Musquin, Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado. As in 2023, Andrea will be chased by 19-year-old teammate Liam Everts who excelled with four GP victories in his maiden term as a factory KTM MX2 racer. The Belgian will be prioritizing more silverware to match his impressive consistency and skills for the championship chase in 2024. Sacha Coenen is again the third representative with the KTM 250 SX-F and the many flashes of speed and potential will be backed up by even more promise for the 17-year-old Belgian in ’24.
In the MXGP class Jeffery Herlings has a clear mission. Four wins with the KTM 450 SX-F in 2023 cemented his status as the most successful Grand Prix rider of all time: all 103 of his record-setting wins came with Red Bull KTM 250 SX-F and 450 SX-F technology. The 29-year-old Dutchman will undoubtedly add to that tally as he pursues a sixth world title and third in the MXGP category.
Red Bull KTM will be present in the opening two rounds of the 2024 Internazionali D’Italia in the coming weeks as well as the Spanish Championship and International meetings in France and the UK in the run-up to MXGP round one.
Andrea Adamo
Andrea, no #1 for you in 2024?
No! I’ll stick with the #80 because I’m not a big fan of the 1 for now. Let’s see in the future if we can do it in MXGP.
What is the main improvement you want to make for 2024?
Well, to be honest, a little bit everywhere. I felt I was quite complete with my riding in 2023; by that I mean I wasn’t bad in many areas but also not super-good in some! Things like starts, speed, consistency, physical was quite OK. So, the goal is to raise the level of everything in general.
Is it another personal goal to boost the wins?
For 2024 I have the same attitude as I did last year. For sure I have a championship on my shoulders and that means the mentality is a bit different, but I will try to enjoy my racing and give the best every race. Keep it consistent, keep it safe, fight for the podium and go for it.
Liam Everts
Liam, you had the consistency in 2023, so what’s the main point for improvement in 2024?
To be even more so! I had a few races last season, like in Portugal, where I threw away a lot of points so I really need to minimize those more and manage the harder weekends better. Of course there are always improvements riding-wise and also with my personality and my mentality. I think if I can sort out that side of my racing and my season then the results will come along also. That’s my big goal.
Is there anything you wanted from the team for the 2024 KTM 250 SX-F?
Erm, the only real request I had for the guys and for the bike was a bit more work on the sand set-up. Even though I won the GP in Arnhem, I felt like I missed something there and that there was a lot more potential. We’ve been working in that way with the suspension and to be able to use my technique more and we’ve made some gains, which is great.
At least two more new tracks to discover in 2024. Is it important or part of the fun to master new venues?
It’s cool. With tracks that you know then you are well aware of turns, sectors or areas where you feel there can be improvement or where you had decent speed in the past. New tracks are always a challenge and that ‘reset’ happens for everyone so the field is level. Places like China are far from home but that’s part of the world championship!
Sacha Coenen
Sacha, 2023 was a classic rookie season: lots of speed but also lots of mistakes. What was the number one lesson for you?
I think just to get used to the bike and to work out the best set-up. Also, the format of the Grand Prix; it felt like the weekends were long!
Did you want some more fitness and conditioning for this season after discovering the demands of MX2?
Yes, I wanted to build more strength because my size meant handling the bike for the full GP motos was not that easy, but we also worked on the bike and the set-up to help with that and to make it easier to get near the limit.
If you had to pick, which one of your teammates will give you the strongest challenge this year?!
I don’t really mind! The truth is that I want to beat all the riders out there, especially my brother [Lucas]! He’s a reference for me at the moment.
Jeffrey Herlings
Jeffrey, the record was a big, big achievement in 2024 but you had to reset again after the crash in Germany. Will it be a mistake for your rivals to count you out?
It’s hard to say what they think of me but I’m sure they know when I am fit then I’m capable of winning races and I’ve shown that consistently in the last fifteen years. I won four last year and had multiple podiums. When I’m fully fit and strong then I can win…even though it is easier said than done!
Any wishes for the latest version of the KTM 450 SX-F?
We’re testing some parts and going through some things now because in the second part of 2023 I was obviously off the bike, so I didn’t really have the chance. Right now, it is going good and I’m very happy with the bike. I was already happy last season, but I think now we are improving. We still have some things to look at. We’re in positive shape. We will only know how good we are once the races start but, based on how I feel at the moment, it’s shaping up nicely.
This is your 15th season with Red Bull KTM: a home from home?
Yeah! It’s crazy. Fifteen years with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and even the season before that I was on a KTM doing the European Championship. Fifteen years: I don’t know how many people or riders can say they have been so long with the same team! It’s pretty special. I’m really happy to be here this year and next year. I’m only 30 years old in 2025 so let’s see! I hope I can keep the partnership going. We’re happy and that’s good.
Harry Norton, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “It is almost ‘go time’ for us so it’s cool to show our bikes and colors for 2024 and to talk about our goals for the season. We have the same rider line-up and it will be a second year for the team staff after some changes for 2023. The consistency and experience should help us to be better prepared for these 20 Grands Prix. Jeffrey set his personal record in 2023, which was also cool for the KTM SX-F bikes, but we know how hungry he is for that title again and to keep chasing success. While he is on the track and has that focus then we know he can set the bar. Andrea, Liam and Sacha each have their own expectations for MX2 and they know what is possible after those results in 2023 and all the education of leading Grands Prix and dealing with pressure. They can only be better and faster for 2024, and we’re really looking forward to how they progress. We are about to start the year with some pre-season races and a bit more testing but round one will rush-up quickly. Before we start, I just want to thank the team and everyone back at the workshop for the work and the effort to get where we are. Let’s bring home what we can!”