As the 2025 EMX250 season gets underway this weekend, we caught up with Shaun Simpson to reflect on an eventful 2024 and discuss the future of SS24 Gabriel KTM. From working with rising talents like Cas Valk and Josh Gilbert to the team’s new EMX250-focused direction, Simpson shares his thoughts on past successes, the challenges of running multiple classes, and the exciting potential of Max Werner and Gyan Doensen. With renewed KTM support and a clear vision for the future, the team is ready to make its mark in both the EMX250 and British Championships this year.
GateDrop: Shaun, let’s look back on 2024. You might not have won the EMX250 title but still plenty of positives with Cas Valk and a British title! You must have been happy to work with him and help develop him? He showed in Argentina he has lots of potential…
Simpson: It was a weird setup going into 2024 as myself and Simon Gabriel wanted an MXGP rider and an MX2 GP rider. As you probably are aware we didn’t really have much luck finding the MX2 rider.
We signed Josh Gilbert quite early, we were very happy with that and then Cas Valk came on our radar with the approach from KTM and the change up there with their EMX structure. So we took Cas on, we were absolutely delighted to win the British Championship with Cas. I really felt like we had a good season with him, ultimate professional, very very into his job, trained hard, rode hard and a very talented rider. So it was it was really good to work with Cas and you know probably one of the first times I’d worked with a rider who especially on weekends really did listen to me, which was always something I’ve struggled with because you know I don’t want to be that guy that’s saying oh you should really do this and I used to do that, just giving him little comments of little tips and tricks that I picked up along the way.
I really did enjoy working with Cas because you could really see his eyes opening up and his ears really taking in what I was saying and numerous times there’s little plans that we’d come up with that really worked in our favour. Unfortunately we never managed to clinch the EMX title but as you say Mathis Valin and Valerio Lata are absolutely no slouches, all three of the guys including Cas have come into the MX2 class and are clearly top ten if not top five riders. I think although it was disappointing to finish third I think you know we were up against some stiff competition and I was delighted with how the year turned out with Cas.
GateDrop: Last year the team also ran Josh Gilbert in MXGP. What was it like running two different classes and working with Josh?
Simpson: As I said we were very happy to sign Josh, really feel like he had some potential and we thought we could have a run at the British Championship with Josh. We believed that we could have him in the top fifteen of the MXGP Championship and break into the top ten by the end of the season.
The season got plagued by injuries, we felt like we worked quite hard with Josh but from the outset and throughout Josh never really just gelled completely with the KTM, just didn’t feel 100% comfortable on the bike. I think you know he probably should have spoken up more about that along the way and we would have really tried even harder than we did to do some different testing and try and get him comfortable. Josh was very much yeah it’ll be alright, you know, I’ll get into it sort of style and that’s one of his good traits. He does like to just crack on but ultimately he just didn’t feel confident to push that a little bit more and that really sort of upset our chances in MXGP.
To finish third in the British Championship was obviously no mean feat given the injuries and that Jeffrey won the championship and Conrad finished second. You know on a whole it was a tough season with Josh but it was something that we managed and running the two classes was definitely tricky at times with Cas in MX2 and Josh out in the MX1 class at the British and dividing our time there. The mechanics and crew done a great job of managing that situation but I would say focusing on one class will definitely make things a lot easier for us this year really putting our efforts into the 250, the two riders and having the crew working more as a unit will definitely be of benefit for us.
GateDrop: When KTM proposed that the team would be fully focused on the EM250 championship – was that a tough decision to make or where you happy to go down that route? Focusing on one class should be less stressful…
Simpson: Focusing on one class will definitely be less stressful, less madness on race weekends. We’ll roll out to the track watch the two riders go around, focus on the track conditions at that point and make a plan with the guys and the crew all be in the same race. The mechanics can work together, I can give the feedback through the radios to the mechanics and we can really focus on that one session then go back to the truck have a debrief and get ready for the next session. In that respect it will make things a lot easier.
One lot of bikes in the truck, all 250s with the same parts even although a lot of the components from the KTM 250 and the KTM 450 are the same there was still some different things. We were doing all of Josh’s engine work together with Evotech in the UK and all Cas’ engines were done by KTM in Austria so there was some extra things to think about there definitely be easier on us this year when KTM proposed to go EMX only in 2025.
I think both myself and Simon Gabriel thought that it would be a really good step for our team to make with slightly less resources and money than some of the bigger teams in MXGP and MX2. We felt like the budget that we have and the support network and sponsors that we have, that it would be a really good series for us to focus on and ultimately be one of the top teams in the hunt for the EMX title.
We sort of jumped at the chance and we’re really excited to be working with young guys who could potentially go on and be world champions. That’s ultimately our goal – to feed KTM with these riders that’s coming through the EMX125 factory rookies team, into our team as the factory juniors and then into the KTM Red Bull factory teams. Hopefully one day to be world champion so our goal is in a couple of years to be shaking hands with the 2026-2027 world champion(s) knowing that we were part of that process.
GateDrop: I assume you get more support from KTM than what you would have had last year?
Simpson: I would say the support is just more honed into the EMX classes so all our engine work has been done now in Austria for both riders. They’ve given us a better package with regards to the engine and electronics for Gyan and Max. They’ve also done all the development with the 108 decibel noise as well so that’s all been a benefit for us, we haven’t had to do any of that development ourself and we know that the package we’re being given is race ready and proven.
I wouldn’t really say there’s any more support but just a closer bond between what we’re doing now as a backstory to ultimately what KTM needs for the future and that’s these young riders coming through the KTM program. The support we had last year was very good and I’m delighted with the package we have for this year and 2026 as it’s a two-year deal. There’s not necessarily more support as in money or products, it’s just a closer connection between us and the factory.
GateDrop: So for the 2025 season, the team will have Max Werner and Gyan Doensen under the awning. Did you have much control on the rider line up, do KTM tell you or is it a joint decision?
Simpson: Gyan was part of the KTM rookies coming through the 125 class so it was quite apparent from pretty much middle of the season that we would be receiving Gyan as our first rider for the 2025 season. We had quite a bit of say about the second rider and we really liked what we’ve saw from Max Werner with regard to speed, technique, style and his ability. We sort of we pushed that option along with a few others that KTM brought to us and in the end we ended up with Max which was in our favour and someone that we’ve been enjoying working with. We can definitely see the potential there and probably in the future there will be more of a conveyor belt of riders coming through the KTM junior program through the 125 rookies and then through our team.
This is a platform that KTM has introduced to their program and we’ll probably only see results from in a couple of years where they’ve really started this conveyor belt through these teams. I would say probably already next year and the year after we will be receiving riders probably one at a time through the 125 project and that KTM has and it may be that for instance Gyan Doensen, only 16 year old might do two years in our team and then move on and then each year we may receive one rider from the 125 rookies team.
We are yet to see the potential realized from these riders and if there is a chance where we get to scout someone and bring someone into our team that hasn’t ridden the KTM before then we will do that so there is no secret pathway to success but if these riders perform in these respective classes through the KTM family. I really believe that then creates quite a strong bond between rider team and brand. Ultimately if they can go on to be world champion one day with that then what a great story and it is just cool to be part of.
GateDrop: I think Max was through the wars at Lierop, what is the latest on him – good to go for Cozar?
Simpson: Unfortunately, both Max and Gyan went down at the first corner of the first moto in Lierop. Gyan got up like a shot and was back on the bike before working his way through the field. Unfortunately, Max tweaked his shoulder and badly enough for him to sit out the rest of the day. We had an MRI scan on the Monday, there was no damage or breaks, fractures, tears or anything like that.
We gave him a few days off the bike, he worked hard with his physio and his trainer Yanis from Olympus Pro and we’ve got him back to 100% on the lead up to Cozar for this weekend. We’re all locked, loaded and firing on all cylinders and ready for action this weekend at the first round of the EMX250 series in Spain.
GateDrop: You were at Lierop to watch – what was it like being back there on a personal note? I’m sure those amazing memories of 2013 came back…
Simpson: Lierop was pretty special. Obviously it’s quite a bit different for the international than it was 12 years ago at the MXGP when I won my first ever MXGP. It was nice to be back there, beautiful weather, great crowd and I had a walk right around the track on the infield when I was watching the races. It definitely brought back a lot of memories and people always ask me do you wish you were out there? There’s very few times now, I’m going to turn 37 on Thursday (today!) that I really think I wish I was out there because quite often the tracks look quite brutal and I’m obviously not as fit as I used to be.
You know, quite often I say no I’m not really that bothered but walking around at Lierop it really just did look like a bit of me and I would have really liked a ride around there again. Nice big deep sandy bumps, definitely a lot of line choice and things to get your brain firing. As a rider that’s what I used to really enjoy, when you came into a section not really knowing where to go and every lap making a plan in your head about the corners and sections coming up and putting your bike in the right position, using your fitness and style to really dictate where the bike’s going and choosing the best lines. It could be completely outside on one corner to completely inside on the next and you had to hop over a bump, there was just so much excitement there making a hundred different tracks from one lap of one track, you know there’s so many options to create and that’s what I really liked about racing motocross and sand tracks in general. Being back at Lierop was special and yes, I did want to be out there.
GateDrop: What has it been like to work with both riders so far?
Simpson: The riders this year have been good. Gyan is 16 years old and Max is 19 so they’re both young guys and definitely full of energy and full of life. We like to have a bit of fun off the bike but keep it serious when we’re at the track. Both guys are willing to work hard, Gyan and Max are both naturally talented on a bike, hardworking and they’ve both got individual parts of their technique, style and personality that could see them do great things in their career.
It’s just exciting being part of that and seeing where their futures will lie but ultimately like any top sport you can lead a horse to water but at the end of the day they’ve got to do the job. We just try and work as hard as we can behind the scenes to provide them with everything they need. Ultimately it’s the rider when he puts his helmet on that’s got to do the job and knuckle down through pain, through exhaustion through tough days, great days and the whole package that becomes being a champion in any sport let alone motocross.
There’s a lot of factors to it, we just try give them any tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way. Certainly something that I would have really relished as a teenager even though I had my dad. He was sort of from a different era of Motocross and quite old school with his mentality but I wouldn’t have made it without him and my whole family. Motocross has changed a lot but we just try and do our job, put the puzzle together and let the boys execute on race weekends.
GateDrop: Max has a year of EMX250 race under his belt whereas Gyan is a rookie. Is he able to learn from Max?
Simpson: I think it’s going to be exciting to see the comparison with Max having had a year in the EMX250 class. He knows a lot of the riders in the class and knows what’s expected and will probably feel quite confident that he can run up front, score podiums and ultimately go on to try and be the EMX250 champion this year.
With Gyan it doesn’t seem like anything phases him. He’s ready like a bull waiting to get out of the starting blocks. He’s just fully fired up and ready to get stuck in which I really like and reminds me a lot of myself. He doesn’t really look too far around him, just keeps the blinkers on looks focused ahead and willing to put the hard work in so it will be an exciting year. I feel like we’ve got two good guys to do a job and I am looking forward to it.
GateDrop: What are your goals for both riders in 2025 for the EMX250 series?
Simpson: The goals this year are quite simple. Be consistent and from the teams side make sure we don’t have any problems. From the riders side, to start strong and be very consistent. If it is a top five first weekend, a podium the next and then we go to win some rounds and races. The emphasis is definitely on consistency.
Mathis Valin was very fast last year and went on to win a lot of races and rounds. I think his worst result was fifth in a moto so he was very consistent along with the speed. We want to get solid points under our belts the first few rounds, be consistent. If we can take some race wins, podiums, overalls and be in the title chase until the last round with at least one if not both of our riders.
GateDrop: The team go into the British Championship as defending champions, I am sure you’ll want to win it yet again…
Simpson: The British Championship this year is obviously exciting, we have a new promoter and we’re looking forward to see how that goes. It is always exciting to be at the British as myself as a racer and now as a team manager defending the championship after last year Cas Valk won the title.
We’re bringing two new young riders into the series, I’m excited with the enthusiasm from the boys to ride in the UK and ultimately our goal is to win that championship again. We have the same idea be consistent, be fast, be smooth and get the wins, podiums and overalls. The goal is definitely to win the 2025 MX2 British Championship again with one of our riders.
GateDrop: Former Irish racer, Jake Sheridan looks like he has a role with the team – what’s his role and is it good to have part of the team – being a former racer himself I’m sure is a help to him even if it is a new role for him…
Simpson: Jake Sheridan was in the workshop next door to us in Lommel. He’d been there for the last four or five years, he was actually in that workshop when I used the workshop that we’re in now in Belgium when I had my own team in 2020-2021. Jake’s been a great hand coming on board helping with Gyan Doensen, he is practice and race mechanic at the moment through the winter time and he’ll be with us this weekend in Spain.
Jake is very hands-on with his own bikes and quite knowledgeable as well being a rider himself so he’s been able to get a good relationship going with Gyan. He is very hard working and a good asset to our team. As we go forward the crews really come together well this year and there’s been quite a lot of hard work put in until this point.
A big thanks to all the guys for digging deep and getting everything ready. A big thanks to Simon Gabriel as well for keeping the wheels turning behind the scenes and having faith in me. We’re all looking forward to getting our EMX race season underway this weekend in Cozar. See you there!
