Giacomo Gariboldi: “Riders like Jeffrey Herlings force you to raise the bar even higher.”

OOn February 1st in Alghero and on February 8th in Mantova, the Internazionali d'Italia will be the first official appearances of the year for many riders. For many MXGP riders and teams, it's the perfect opportunity to test themselves against their future rivals in real racing conditions for the first time, just a few weeks before the start of the World Championship season.

Giacomo Gariboldi's HRC team will also be present again. This time, special attention will be paid to new signings Tom Vialle and Jeffrey Herlings, who will immediately be completing their first competitive kilometers.

Giacomo, a new season is upon us, and your team will be competing in the Internazionali d'Italia with big news, including the arrival of Jeffrey Herlings. What's the atmosphere like within the team?
Yes, I can say there's an enthusiasm within the team that I haven't felt in years. The arrival of Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle has given everyone new energy and brought back that sense of anticipation and excitement that had faded. Their presence has also given Fernández and Lata extra motivation, as they too want to play a leading role this season. The atmosphere is excellent, and the drive to perform is enormous. Riders like Jeffrey Herlings automatically raise the bar even higher. With 112 GP victories to his name, he's unique, and we want to try to help him extend that record even further.

For years at the top of the Motocross World Championship, with many successes, but managing a team at this level – where winning is the only goal – is not easy. How do you approach that?
A team like ours must always start with the goal of winning. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes play a role and prevent us from achieving the final result. Everything is planned and organized down to the last detail with just one goal: to bring Honda another title. The philosophy of the new riders is clear: only winning counts. This should absolutely not be seen as arrogance, but as the sole goal of everyone who works for this major brand.

You're Honda HRC's benchmark team in motocross, more of a symbol than just a brand. Passion brought you into this world, but what does it mean to lead this team and defend its colors?
Representing the most powerful racing department in the world—F1, MotoGP, SBK, Rally, and Trial—is above all an honor that I hope to continue to earn for many years to come. Only those who experienced HRC's motocross career in the 80s can truly understand what this logo means. I was fortunate enough to be there as a fan back then and admire those beautiful motorcycles. Being part of this organization today is a dream and a great privilege.

HRC is synonymous with prototypes, testing, and innovation. Developments that originate in racing and later find their way into production models. What can you tell us about the Honda 2026 that will soon be in action?
Our CRF is still a true prototype, a project in full development with enormous potential that will later be transferred to the customer bikes. In October, I was at HRC in Tokyo and visited the R&D department, where no fewer than 35 engineers are working on this CRF project. It's impressive to see how much technology goes into the development and how the engineers brainstorm together about where and how the bike can be improved. I think we'll see several development steps from our three MXGP riders this season.

You always look ahead, but when you look back at the evolution of the sport: how do you see motocross today, and in particular the World Championship?
The MXGP championship is without a doubt the most competitive motocross championship in the world. Many factory teams are involved, and we have the best riders in the world, as the Motocross of Nations confirms. The only area for improvement is better gate filling and consistently reaching 40 riders. That's currently the biggest limitation of the system. The track preparation also needs to be re-examined, as there's often only one ideal line, which sometimes makes the races less spectacular. However, it remains an essential international showcase for the manufacturers.

The 2026 Internazionali d'Italia are kicking off, and your team will be back. Why are these matches so important at the start of the season?
For us, the Internazionali d'Italia have always been crucial races for testing everything and everyone before the start of the World Championship. The circuits are of high quality, and the timing is perfect for testing first and then heading straight to the first GP. That's why we can't miss these races, even though we're invited by different organizers every year. These two races in Italy are always a priority for us.