Behind The Gate – The Interviews: Antti PyrhöNen & Mathis Valin

The Behind The Gate documentary series, which is produced after every GP and aired immediately on MXGP-.TV.com, continued with Episode Four, “Derailed”, which focused on the MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS, and followed the Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 squad, with Team Manager Antti Pyrhönen and sole MX2 pilot Mathis Valin joining us in the studio at the MXGP of Sardegna to talk through their weekend, the KRT MX2 project, and their thoughts on the MX2 field for 2026.

Valin had suffered a frustrating weekend at Frauenfeld, with a crash on the second corner taking him out of the lead of Saturday’s Qualifying Race, followed by a chain derailment in the first race on Sunday, happening again when he was leading, this time by some distance.  He salvaged some points with fifth place in race two, but it was a small return for his obvious pace at the Swiss circuit, which he seemed to like more than most.

As always, these interviews have to be edited to fit within a 26-minute programme, but here is the full transcript of what both Antti and Mathis had to say to the Behind The Gate cameras.

 

Antti Pyrhönen

BTG: Hi Antti, thanks for joining us again. The first thing I want to ask you, is that obviously Mathis had the problem in the Qualifying Race in Switzerland: a great start, but then dropped it. How do you deal with that as the Team Manager?  How do you speak to Mathis between the races, and what was his reaction?

AP: Yeah, actually at the Swiss GP, Mathis had a really, really good run.  So he put in some incredible riding and to be honest, almost his best riding so far of this season, and even from last year.  So, he had really amazing rides also last year and the podium in the Czech Republic, so that was really good, a really good result.  But in Switzerland, you know, he was on that same level, capable to put it all together with the Holeshots, but still, you know, in my opinion, even more maturity to manage the races. So he was doing extremely good, he felt good with the track, but yeah, in the Quali Race, a Holeshot, then straight away, unfortunately, a crash on the second turn.  But he was really able to put frustration and even anger into focus and to the track, you know, like he really came through the pack, in a Quali Race, from last position to P5.  And it was a difficult track to pass on so it was an incredible job.  And I said to him, actually, after the race on Saturday, I said that with this pace and if you put it together, you will fight for the win.  And that's actually what he did on Sunday.

 

BTG:  So then, talking about Sunday, of course, such a disappointment after having the race under control.  From your side, again, how were you dealing with that disappointment after race one and before race two?  What were the conversations like in the paddock between the two of you?

AP: Between the first and second moto, of course it was a huge disappointment.  It would have been Mathis' first ever MX2 World Championship race win.  And also for us, for KRT MX2, it would have been our first race win.  So, to have this rock in the rut, derailing the chain, you know, it was a huge disappointment.  Mathis was on a solid ten-second-plus lead, with only less than ten minutes to go.  So yeah, it was a very big bummer, huge disappointment.  The only thing I said to him between the first and second moto was that for me, you were the winner.  He had everything under control.  He was the fastest man on track, and the only thing I said was, “You won the moto, you were the winner”, so that was the only comment.

 

BTG: I just wanted to ask you in general about the MX2 project.  How much extra work is it for you?  Are you guys OK with the scheduling and things like this?  How much is it affecting you?  And yeah, what do you see for the future of this part of the team?

AP: Yeah, for sure, to run two teams, which is the KRT MXGP team and KRT MX2, for sure it's an additional effort.  And especially the 250 class, it's very competitive.  It's a 250cc bike, very similar to 450, that you keep working on, you keep searching for extra performance,  but on the 250 side even more, you know? Like you try to push the limits, find more torque, find more power, and the more power you are finding, sometimes you get little setbacks.  It is for sure a lot of work, very demanding technically to manage the bike.  I don't deny it, for sure, my hands are full, but we have incredible staff, you know, like our KRT MXGP staff, they have so much experience.  They know exactly what to do.  So that one is really turning, almost on its own.  Very, very experienced riders there, you know, Romain and Pauls.  So that one is really working, a hundred percent like it should work.  Only some fine adjustments, work on the starts and trying always to find those little bits to be able to win.

MX2 for us is a new project, new team, new staff members.  So that one requires even more, you know, extra attention, but on the other hand, they both support each other.  The staff, they get along really well, plus also they support each other.  Anything we find on the 250 side, oh, maybe this is also benefitting on the 450 side, and vice versa.  I see that as a great challenge for both of the staff, for both of the technical crews.  And even with the extra load it brings, extra work it brings, I see that as a win-win situation, that both teams can challenge each other, both teams can push each other.  So for us, it's beneficial. 

 

BTG: Last one for you, Antti, just to sum things up.  Switzerland still saw a good second race for Mathis and he got good points on the board there.  So yeah, what was your reaction to how he rode there, and what are the hopes for the rest of the season?

AP: Yeah, Mathis' second race in Switzerland was incredibly good from a medium start, on a difficult track to pass.  He was P5 at the end, so he rode really good considering, you know, the disappointment he had from the first moto, so I'm quite sure if he won the first moto, he would have won the overall with the way he rode.  So no, his second moto was really a solid performance considering what happened in the first one.  So overall, it was a great round for us.  Unfortunately, the DNF in the first one was bad luck, but generally it was a round that definitely showed the potential that Mathis has.  We take the positives of that and go for it here at Sardegna.  We have a five-week break after Arco, after the MXGP of Trentino, so we will definitely work hard to be very strong for the second and last part of the Championship.

 

 

Mathis Valin

BTG: Mathis, great to speak to you. Before Switzerland you had a decent start to the year, and then you go to Frauenfeld, you missed the GP there last year, but you had good results in EMX before that.  So, how was your feeling with the circuit in Switzerland?  Are you confident?  Are you feeling good?  What are your thoughts?

MV: Yeah, so about Switzerland, I love the track.  I mean, from where I grew up, tracks are a little bit like that, like tiny corners and the dirt is quite the same.  So yeah, it's quite a small track, but I mean, I think I'm the only one that loves it!  It's making big ruts and everything, so every time when I go to Switzerland, I'm really happy about it.  And yeah, when I did my first race in EMX125 there in 2023, I won, and then, yeah, also when I went the year after in EMX250, I won also.  So yeah, every time is a good moment to go back there and, yeah, I enjoy it a lot.

 

BTG: I hate to bring up the disappointments, of course, but yeah, in the Qualifying Race you had such a good start, and then what did happen? First of all, please tell us about the crash, and then tell us how you fought through because you really came past a lot of people.

MV:  Yes, about the Quali Race, we have been working a lot on the start, because since the beginning of the season, we are struggling quite a lot, but yes, I got the Holeshot, and it's been a while since I started in front.  So yeah, it was quite different! I was a bit excited, I think, and I was like a kid doing his first MX2 race, because last year I didn't get a Holeshot, and this year also, so yeah, I was a bit too excited, I think, and then I fell in the second corner. I was quite nervous, but yeah, I just take it how it was, and then I come back to P5. I was really, really fast, so yeah, it would have been a win if I stayed on my wheels, I think, but it is what it is.

 

BTG:  So in race one, you were obviously in great shape, please tell us how you felt in those laps as you were leading.  Obviously, you were much calmer, but yeah, tell us how you felt from that side and also then what were your feelings when the chain first came off?  How did it feel to you?  Was there a noise?  If you can describe please what it was like when you came to a stop, and no swearing if you can help it!

MV:  Yeah, so the first race was really nice.  I mean, I got the start, I got the Holeshot, and I didn't make the mistake of the day before, so I was really happy and yeah, I could manage my flow. I was getting the pace I'm having in training, so I would say I was enjoying myself a lot on the track, and then every time when I went into that corner [turn three], the rut was deeper and deeper.  When I just came in the rut, this one was the deepest, I think, on the whole track.  I came in and then I came out.  At the beginning, I was thinking I hit neutral, so I tried to put the gear in and everything stopped, so it wasn’t that.  Then after I was thinking, the back just like... stopped, but then I looked at the chain and it just jumped off.  So yeah, the feeling was like, everything doesn't want to go in! Yesterday I crashed and today I have this, so yeah it was a really tough moment, but we do a mechanical sport so everything can happen. It is what it is, just the feeling I was having after was really, really bad, but then when I checked the MXGP race, I was not the only one, so I was feeling a bit better after that. 

 

BTG: So, Antti then said that you won the race, that’s how he put it to you, so what was your reaction to that, to how Antti dealt with it?  Was this a good thing for you to hear, that as far as he was concerned, you still won that race?

MV: Yeah, for sure.  For me also, I think I won the race, but yeah on the paper I don't win, so it's always different. We said, for me, I won, but I didn't win, so that's hard to say also. 

 

BTG: And then in the second race you came through, had a good one, obviously brought some points home which is the main thing, and you’re currently seventh in the Championship, not far behind some of the others.  How are you feeling about this season?  Are you feeling like you're a stronger part of the pack, or is the level similar to last year?  Where do you feel your place is now that you're in your second year?

MV: Yeah, so now I feel that I'm in the group to fight for the Championship.  I mean, for the moment, I am not at the best.  We saw that I fight more in the fourth or fifth place, and sometimes, in some races, with the top guys.  I know that if I ride like how I ride in training, I know that I have the speed, I know that I can stay in front with the top guys.  In the MX2 class, we said the start is the most important, because the first laps are really intense, and it's making, we think, 80% of the races.  So, yeah, we just need to work on the start, and after that I think I have the speed.  The physical part I have also, so yeah, just need to work on the start and everything, and yeah, I think I can fight for the Championship. 

 

BTG: We filmed you training before the races.  Can you please explain what you do?  There was some kind of boxing, can you explain that part? 

MV: Yeah, so just before the moto, I'm having my routine, I would say. So I start with cycling, then I just have a boxing ball, I don't know if you know, but you will see on the video, I just do the thing with a little ball on a string, like elastic, from my head, and hit it like a boxer!  I'm quite good at it, and I teach Romain [Febvre] a bit also, and he's doing it now, he bought one! So now it's always fun, and it's good for the concentration and for the focus.  After I just do the normal stuff, and then also prepare my goggles to give to the mechanic because yeah, they are so important in Motocross.  We never know if the rain is going to come, if we have a red flag or something.  So yeah, I just take some with roll-offs, two sets of tear-offs and everything.  Then we are ready to go, just need to put gas in and that's it!

 

BTG: In terms of the bike, obviously the second year in the MX2 class, and you had another year before this in EMX250.  Is the 2026 bike much different?  Have they advanced much?  Are you involved with moving the bike forward as well? 

MV: Yeah, so actually, the bike stayed quite similar to last year.  We didn't do many changes because I was quite happy with the bike.  I proved also last weekend that with the bike, we can start in front.  So yeah, we said the bike is really good.  I feel good and I enjoy every time when I go on the track with the bike.  So, yeah, we make a good job, I think, with the team.

 

Epilogue: The frustration continued somewhat at Sardegna for Mathis and the team, with an early mechanical failure in race one, but another bounce back to take sixth in race two. However, Trentino saw a superb weekend for the Frenchman, after once more taking sixth in the Qualifying Race, as he did at Riola Sardo, the teenager took his second career podium after a career best second place finish in race one.  He sits seventh in the points standings with his home GP next up at Lacapelle Marival.  He has taken two EMX overall victories in his home country, and would dearly love to send the crowd wild with a similar result in his first race at that venue.