Britain’s Motocross of Nations representative, Tommy Searle, finished sixth in his final MXGP appearance as a Kawasaki rider at the Grand Prix of Leon last weekend.
The former MX2 championship runner-up also collected 12th in the standings during a perturbed second season in the premier class when suffered a broken wrist at round two and also picked up a thumb injury. Searle is slated to race CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki’s KX250F at Kegums in Latvia in two weeks in the MX2 class for his country and then move teams during the winter for a factory saddle.
“I felt sh*t all weekend to be honest just me in general and with the bike,” he commented on his result in Mexico. “I was struggling with my stomach like a few people and also with my hand on the big jumps.”
Searle, once Britain’s leading Grand Prix rider, has had his status slightly clipped by the positive season enjoyed by Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Shaun Simpson. He was quick to assess and put a lid on 2014. “It has been fu*king terrible,” he offered. “The worst season I’ve ever had. Everything that could have gone wrong with me or the bike has happened. JJ [Luisetti, CLS Team Owner] has been there for me as a team manager but it is difficult for him as well. He didn’t want a year like that either. Hopefully I can put it behind me as soon as possible.”
At 25 years, marginally older than Gautier Paulin and the same age as Clement Desalle, Searle has time on his side for spoils in the MXGP category but is pinning his hopes on a quick resurrection to the position of Grand Prix winner; a feat he managed repeatedly in a memorable 2012 MX2 title duel with Jeffrey Herlings.
Although no official announcement has yet been made it is heavily rumoured that Searle will be Tony Cairoli’s team-mate in the Red Bull KTM squad for 2015 and is likely to steer a 350SX-F. Of his upcoming transfer Searle could only comment: “It is a big new chapter and I believe it is a move that will bring me back to the top in MXGP. I haven’t been up there yet [in the class] fighting for race wins and podiums but at the start of next year I want to be right there and where I need to be.”
