The last time that Honda World Motocross’ Max Nagl tried to cope with temperatures that reached similar high levels to those found last weekend at Trindade for the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship it led to a dark nadir in his time with the HRC squad.
The winner of the Grand Prix of Goias infamously needed to pit during his home Grand Prix at Lausitzring during the summer of 2013 for a bucket of cold water to be poured over him before continuing and taking a lowly 12th place.
In Brazil last weekend on the way to his first victory in four years and first double since 2009, Nagl coped with the sizzling sunshine like a native for perhaps the most dominant performance seen in MXGP this season.
“Heat is heat and in Germany last year I wasn’t bothered by it but it was the sickness and the infection I had at that time and I felt so destroyed,” he described after glory in Goias. “I tried to prepare myself for the heat [this time] but it was difficult in Belgium; we even had the heating on the house a few times because the weather was so cold!”
Nagl, who will become a father for the first time this winter with partner Sabrina, ascended the MXGP podium for the third time in 2014 on the works CRF450RW but more importantly gave the starved Honda crew their first win since Evgeny Bobryshev stood on the top step of the German podium at Teutschenthal in 2011.
At the Honda-backed GP in Goiania it was ideal timing for the 26-year-old who is allegedly set to leave the red camp for the security of a two year factory deal with Husqvarna starting 2015.
Nagl can now close the two year Honda chapter of his career with another bright showing in Mexico. His excellent starts were a vital asset to his superiority in Brazil and were obviously the fruits of some positive work done during the August break in the calendar.
“After Lommel [the last GP] we did a great job because we went testing and improved the bike a lot and that was shown by the good starts and the overall performance,” he said. “I also benefitted from the long break from racing. Physically I am much better again.”
