After dipping his toe into the EMX250 waters in previous seasons, 2025 marks Ollie Colmer’s first full-on assault at the championship—and he’s already showing signs of real progress. The young Brit has looked increasingly comfortable racing at the European level, and with the backing of the Chambers KTM team, things are starting to click. We caught up with Colmer after the Arco di Trento round to discuss how the season is going so far, adapting to the slick hard-pack surface in Italy, that impressive second moto at Hawkstone, and his goals for both the EMX250 and British Championships this year.
GateDrop: This year it sort of feels like your first proper go at doing a full EMX250 championship. I know you’ve done a few races here or there in the past but it feels like sort of the full focus is on that this year. How would you talk me through the first couple of rounds? I feel like you’ve made pretty good progress and especially that second moto was good here in Arco…
Colmer: Yeah, that’s correct. This is my first, I’d say it’s my first proper year at going for it. I’ve done a few rounds and had a few good races but I think this year it’s more committed to doing the full Europeans. We’re doing the correct programs and that type of stuff in my training and stuff so it’s going well at the moment. The steps are being made, it’s great but yeah I just keep wanting more and more which is good for my motivation. It’s going well at the moment so I just need to keep making the steps and hopefully the top 10’s will come.
GateDrop: And that second moto at Hawkstone in the first British you were very impressive. Do you feel like racing the MX helps you when you go and do a British Championship but I would say that was probably your best British Championship moto ever to be honest…
Colmer: Yeah definitely that was my personal best in the British Championship. Yeah I mean with the start and the intensity in European races you bring that to the British Championship it does help you. You know the feeling of charging in the EMX is a little bit different for the British, it’s a bit more intense like from the moment you set off to the last lap someone’s on you the whole way. In the British it’s a little bit more relaxed so you’ve your group of riders that are at the front and stuff like that but no it’s really good practice.
GateDrop: That second moto today, I mean you were doing really well I think you were in the top 10 and beating some really good riders like Jake Cannon and the likes of that, you must have been happy with your riding in that moto but I’m not sure what happened towards the end…
Colmer: Yeah I had a really good start and pushed through to ninth and was riding really good. There was just one rider in front of me that I wanted to just pick up and I couldn’t quite make the pass on him. That kind of just upset my rhythm a little bit but I think if I had made the pass on that rider maybe it would have been a little bit different story. I got tagged along with the Spanish boys that was in front but no I’m happy with that race but also a little bit frustrated that I missed an opportunity for a top 10. But that’s the first time I’ve been in that position running in the top 10 for 25 minutes, it was just the last two laps that I made a few mistakes that allowed riders to get through. Hopefully the next time I’m in that position I can know exactly what to do and what to expect.
GateDrop: What was your thoughts on this Arco di Trento circuit, certainly nothing like that in the UK, it’s very slick and hard pack, it’s not pin it to win it, you have to be quite smooth I think…
Colmer: This morning I feel as though when I went out in practice it’s the best I’ve ever rode this track I’ve rode it three or four years in a row or something like that. This morning it felt like a really nice track with lovely ruts. There was a nice rhythm to have and I felt really nice this morning. Yesterday it was a little bit unsettling as I didn’t good line choices and things like that which made it difficult with crashing and crashing with other riders which set me out the points which is a bit of a bummer but anyway we move on and today was better.
GateDrop: There’s plenty of Brits in this class with yourself, Billy and Bobby. I mean you’ve been racing them since youth so is it nice to race with those guys in the European championship now. It’s nice to see them perform as well although Bobby didn’t have much luck this weekend.
Colmer: Yeah, it’s good to have the three of us there. You know there’s three Brits and I think it’s really good for the UK riders. You know that we can prove that we can do it with me, Billy and Bobby. We’re all good riders and we want it and we all want to make the dream happen. All three of us are doing the correct thing by coming to Europe and doing that type of stuff, you know. I think it’s really great and beneficial for us to bring back to the British Championship.
GateDrop: How’s everything going with the Chambers KTM team, obviously they’ve decided to step up a little bit this year in terms of what they’re doing. With Adam doing all European MXGP rounds and then dedicating themselves to EMX so that’s good progress from the team and just from the moment you’ve signed with them how’s it all going with them?
Colmer: For sure. When I first signed with Chambers, they’ve been great to me, you know with anything that I needed they’ve provided it with me. It’s amazing really because I’ve never had that sort of support before in my career. It’s everything’s coming together, the pieces are coming together and you know with my personal sponsors as well like Paul Baldwin, Aristo Carles he’s doing a fantastic job by coming to all the races for me. It’s all coming into place the support and everything. These little things make a difference to me and it helps you to be more relaxed coming into the races that things are provided correctly and that type of stuff it’s great feeling.
GateDrop: The British Championship, just what are your goals for that? It’s obviously going to be fast at the front as you’ve Tommy, Billy, Gian, Max who is injured at the minute but I’m sure you want to get on the podium, do you think you can battle for wins domestically?
Colmer: Yeah, I mean if I get the start and go with them like I did at Hawkstone, I just have to take the opportunity and go for it. But yeah any opportunity I can take to take a win, podium or top five… that’s great for me. You know but hopefully each week I can keep making that one step up and one day hopefully win a race.
GateDrop: Just on the British Championship obviously before this year you have one main British Championship, I think that’s positive because it now helps guys for you to come to Europe a bit easier because you don’t have to worry about clashing with British events or anything?
Colmer: Yeah that’s definitely a lot a lot more beneficial for guys like me, Billy and Bobby because we have one championship focused in the UK and one championship outside of the UK. Especially with the 13 rounds we have this season it’s a lot to go to all around Europe like this. It’s good to have the British Championship how it is and not clash and be able to work with both championships.
GateDrop: Actually you mentioned there the series now has 13 rounds. Are your team still intending to do all 13 because I know there was a late change initially there was going to be 11 then Matterley got added which is actually easy for you guys because you’re British but then obviously Finland got added, are you still committed to doing Finland or just waiting to see how the results are?
Colmer: At the moment if I keep making the steps that I am then we’ll commit to all the rounds. Like I say we’ll come to the crossings when it comes to that. You know going to Finland it’s not just around the corner and the same as Turkey and places like that. If I’m in the points and in the top 15 you’ve got to go for it you know and hopefully we can get everything to go there and we’ll go as a team.
