Searle optimistic for home Grand Prix
Matterley Basin will always have a special place in the hearts of British riders in general and Tommy Searle in particular. The BOS Factory rider also started the season well in Argentina.
It has been since 2006 since Searle scored his first podium result in Matterley as a teenager. Six years later he defeated Jeffrey Herlings twice in what was perhaps one of his strongest performances ever. In a wet and muddy MX of Nations weekend in September 2017, he took the podium together with Max Anstie and Dean Wilson. This was the first time in twenty years that the British were among the three strongest countries.
Searle is one of the absolute British crowd favorites this weekend, together with Ben Watson in the MX2 class and Max Anstie. Things have not been going well for “Tommygun” in recent years. The three-time MX2 vice world champion was plagued by injuries and bad luck. In his sixth season of MXGP, Tommy wants to restore his reputation and show what he can do on the 450. At BOS Factory, Searle finds two ingredients that guaranteed his success in the past: a Kawasaki and the management of Jean-Jacques Luisetti. Luisetti, the ex-owner of CLS, was the Englishman's team manager in 2001 and 2012.
The young BOS Factory team still has to prove itself at the top level, but Searle heads to his home GP with confidence. “Kawasaki has provided an excellent foundation,” says Searle of the new KX450. “The engine is new but we have not encountered any problems yet - which is not always possible when a brand introduces a new motorcycle. We have only had positive experiences so far. “
“I was initially hesitant about switching to BOS and riding BOS suspension,” Searle admits. “It's not a brand you see as standard on production motorcycles, but I was happy with it and thought it was very good. I was immediately impressed but I know we can still improve. We need to test more because I think the suspension has great potential.”
Searle finished seventh at the season opener in Argentina three weeks ago, with a standard Kawasaki engine. However, there is a chance that he can rely on a more tuned power source for Matterley. “Hopefully so,” he says. “We'll see how it goes but we still need some time to test and I want to go step by step instead of maybe taking a big leap in the wrong direction!”
Yet Searle's optimism is noticeable. The 28-year-old rider is clearly keen on a strong performance in Matterley Basin. And despite the fickle reputation of British spring weather, forecasts predict a dry weekend. “I would like to go for a top five. I haven't been on the podium in years, so I don't want to talk about winning or the top three. But I would be very happy with a top five in the final standings. I feel very good at the moment. I am healthy and the engine runs fine. I always enjoy going to Matterley and I'm just going to give it my all!”
Tekst: Adam Wheeler
Photos: Pascal Haudiquert
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