Max Nagl is 37 years old, was the first rider to win the ADAC MX Masters three times in a row, shares the record for the most ADAC MX Masters titles with Dennis Ullrich on five, and won the first of his championships back in 2006. Time to call it a day? Not for Nagl. The reigning champion has shaken things up again and signed a two-year contract with new team Dörr Motorsport Triumph Racing powered by Krettek, with whom he will defend his title on a Triumph TF 450 RC. In an interview, he reveals why he is not ready to stop, and why he does not view the change of team and manufacturer as a risk.
New year, new team, new bike. Did you not consider calling it a day? “2025 is a completely new year for me. I am starting from scratch with Triumph. I think it is going to be an exciting project. There were a few delays during preparations, such as the bikes arriving a little later than expected. However, I had already taken that into account when I came to my decision. All the material is gradually arriving, and I have a lot of testing ahead of me. I am confident about the season. I can already imagine it is going to be a bit different to recent years. However, I think that will make it a bit more exciting for the fans too.”
How did the change come about? “I am 37 now and will turn 38 this season. At my advanced age, you always need something new to give you fresh motivation. In my two years with Honda, I actually won all the titles and achieved all the results I could have done. As such, I needed a new project. I am getting that at Triumph, particularly because everything is in its infancy with the bike, which has been developed from scratch. I am the first rider to get my hands on the 450, and there are always teething problems. That is life, and I kind of see it as my job to help solve those issues. I am always in contact with the engineers in England, in order to develop and improve the bike bit by bit.”
In recent years, you have only signed contracts for one season. Now you have surprised us with a two-year contract. “That is indeed out of the ordinary for me. I have usually always told myself that I would sign one-year contracts, so that I can say ‘Okay, I’m pulling the plug, that will do, I am now old enough or have suffered enough for this sport.’ However, I have found such a good cooperation with Dörr that I have told myself that the 2025 season is a learning year, in order to develop the bike and try new parts. In this situation, something could go wrong and rule out any chance of winning the title – although the title is obviously the goal. This way, however, we have a cushion. We can say that, if everything does not work out at the first attempt in 2025, then we have a second year in 2026, in order to perhaps challenge for the title. By then, we might have everything perfect and how we want it. That is the reason for the two years.”
Is it risky to switch to a new team with a new, untested motorcycle? “The decision to switch to Dörr Motorsport and Triumph is clearly a risk for both parties. Nobody knows where we are heading right now. However, that was part of the appeal for me – that there is a lot of work and it is something completely new. On the other hand, Dörr Motorsport has obviously been around for many years on the automobile racing scene, so they know what motorsport is all about. Whether you are running a car or a bike, the principle is the same, and they have both the experience and the background. For this reason, it was clear to me relatively quickly, when we held our first discussions, that this was a good fit and I wanted to go for it. I am also confident that it will work out.”
You have changed your attire too – you are now one of the Weber Werkeholics athletes. “Yes, that is true. As far as my perception in the media is concerned, being with Weber is a very good thing for me. I am not the biggest fan of social media, and only very rarely post anything on it. The cooperation has made me more motivated to do more in that regard. There will be race vlogs from all the ADAC MX Masters races, where I will also be accompanied by a cameraman. That will then be shared on YouTube and Instagram. I will also try to do a bit more of my own content. I think many people will perhaps be pleased to see a bit more of me and to be able to follow what I am up to more closely.”
This time, you have not had the consistent training programme that you are used to, and the pre-season preparations have been totally different. Why was that? “Pre-season preparations were completely different to all the other years. I took an extended winter break and had a real holiday – for three weeks – in order to really relax. For one thing, the 450cc Triumph simply arrived a little later than expected. Plus, I needed a bit of a break. 2024 was a long and tough season and I rode a lot of races. The season starts very late in 2025: our first ADAC MX Masters race is not until the end of April. Had I started training in December of January, it would have been far too early, as you cannot spend four months preparing for one season. That is simply too long. Nowadays I am experienced enough to know what I need to do. I sat on the bike for the first time in Spain in mid-February.”
How good is the new Triumph to ride? “Riding a new bike is always fun. I also enjoy developing a motorcycle. You start with the real basics and try different handlebars, handlebar mounts, and Xtrig fork clamps with different off-sets. I am also working with Kayaba. However, I cannot simply take the Honda chassis and install it in the triumph. So, you are starting from scratch again there and gradually making progress. Every improvement brings me joy and puts fire in my belly again. When the day ends much better than it started, it is fun. Then I am already looking forward to the next day of testing.”
What is the goal for the 2025 season? “Somewhere in me, the goal is to challenge for the title. However, I am not putting any unnecessary stress on myself, as was the case in the last two years. On those occasions, I really wanted to win the title, no matter how. That piled on a lot of pressure. I am now taking that pressure off myself a little, because I know that things can go wrong with a new project. However, the team and I are clearly working to make it happen somehow – if not this year, then at least in 2026.”
Who do you expect to provide the toughest opposition? “To be honest, I don’t look at the entry lists before the season. I am not particularly interested who will be riding. However, Jordi Tixier and Max Spies will clearly be among the front-runners. Marcel Stauffer will definitely be fast. There are also other contenders, which I am pleased about, as it adds to the prestige of the series.”
A hat-trick of titles and the same number of ADAC MX Masters championships as Dennis Ullrich. Do those kind of records motivate you? “Records and numbers are not important to me at all at the moment. Whether I have one title or five does not change anything for me right now. I think that will only be of interest when I stop riding at some point and am 50 or 60 years old. At that point, I believe it will be more interesting or more fun to look back on your career and see that you won a lot of races or a lot of titles, and to see the trophies around your home. I think it will be far more important for me then that it is at the moment.”
