HRC Team Owner Giacomo Gariboldi sat down on the MXGP Studio Show to share his thoughts on a wide range of topics. From the challenges of running a competitive MX2 outfit to the recovery of Tim Gajser, the rise of Ruben Fernandez and the promising future of young talents like Ferruccio Zanchi and Valerio Lata, Gariboldi offered honest behind-the-scenes insights into Team HRC.

Gajser’s recovery

“He’s doing well. He’s recovering and doing all he needs to do for his shoulder. Of course, it’s a long recovery – this kind of injury takes time. Hopefully, he’ll be back in August with us to race the last rounds. But it’s important he heals perfectly, so he needs to take his time. No point in rushing because the championship is already gone. It’s a pity, as he was leading very comfortably, and we really thought it was going to be his sixth title. But in this sport, anything can happen anytime – during training or racing.”

Ruben Fernandez’s campaign

“Ruben is doing very well. He’s got podiums and won a qualifying race. I honestly think he could do better. He has everything: speed, endurance and strength during races. He can attack until the last lap. This is what I told him at the beginning of the season – that he can go for the title this year. I think he just doesn’t fully believe it. For him, top three is already good, which, of course, is great, but I think you need to aim for the win. If your goal is third, you might end up fifth or sixth. The only thing he’s missing is that belief that he can battle for the win in every race. Other than that, he’s had a very good season.”

On having a second MX2 rider this year

“Yeah, because I think it’s not really a complete program when you have just one rider, who can get injured easily, as we’ve seen with Ferruccio, for example, this year. With two riders, at least you can make a wider plan and also develop the bike better. I think it’s more complete. We also want to find new top riders for the future. So, with two riders, at least we can try a little bit more.”

Zanchi’s 2025

“Ferruccio did great in Cozar, the first round in Europe. We expected him to step up after that result, but the following rounds were a bit more difficult for him. Still, that was a great day for him and for the team. Our goal is to be on the podium in MX2 as well. That’s exactly what we wanted this year – we asked both riders to try to be as close as possible to the top five and get some podiums. After that podium, it’s been a bit disappointing. I expected to see him in the top five. Last year was perfect – we didn’t expect anything and he finished top 10. But this year we wanted to see the next step. While he started very well in Cozar, after that – except for a few races – he didn’t confirm the progress. We were hoping to see more in the second part of the season, but unfortunately, he got injured. He still has great talent, but like with Ruben, he has to believe he can be a top rider. At this level, it’s those little differences that make someone a champion or just a very good rider.”

Lata’s crusade

“He’s doing great. This is what we expected from him. You can see he’s very aggressive and very hungry when he hits the track. At the beginning, he was trying to find his limits because he didn’t know exactly where he stood in this class. But he’s progressed every race and shown us some really strong performances. He could be in the top three – he was very close to podiums in a couple of GPs. I think he has a great future.”

Image: HRC

Similar Articles

Leave a Reply