but I see it more than normal because it’s my job to find the right rider at the right position and the right time. I have to be creative on what you have at the moment. That’s what I did.” Not quite a similar position, but your signing of Hunter Lawrence was also a little bit surprising. Talk about that decision and how he performed this year, in what was a bit of a rollercoaster for him.“The first time I saw him race was in Spain with the Juniors Championship a couple of years ago. But I didn’t remember him as a name. I remembered him as a rider there. I believe he was on the podium. Then I saw him again in Valkenswaard last year, 2016, I saw enough after that race. Going into Valkenswaard on the conditions that we had with the mud and the rain, and going to that sand race and performing how he performed there, showed immediately his talents. I was convinced straight away this is a kid of the future. Then I find out that he was in trouble with the team. I just went straight for the goal and to try and bring him to the team. Eventually we got the chance and we signed him up. It was again a happy moment for me to sign the Lawrence family, also including Jett because Jett is also a very talented kid. In the beginning of the season, he performed better than everyone was expecting. I think that kind of put the pressure a bit high on him, and then he started to make mistakes and he started to struggle. But I never lost the confidence in him. For me, I know one day it will come out of him. He’s a fighter. He’s a hard worker. He has a big ambition, a very big ambition. He wants to go for his goal. Whatever it takes, he will go for it. One day he will get there and he will succeed, I’m sure of that.”In 2016, Kevin won the Lommel GP. Talk about that. It was pretty unexpected but him being Belgian, it being the sort of home GP for your team, but how cool was that event for you guys?“I think it was one of the biggest highlights because first of all Bas won the European 250 overall and then Jeremy got second in the 29TEAM SUZUKI RACING NEwSMX2, then Kevin won the overall MXGP. It was an unexpected victory. It was one of the best weekends of the two years. Also, Switzerland this year was fantastic how Jeremy rode, especially in that second moto. There were many other great moments, but overall from the whole team performance, having three riders there and three riders on the podium and two on the highest box, it was a fantastic weekend. For sure it’s one of the highlights.” What was it like working with Zach and also with his father Mickael, who you’ve obviously known since your riding days? Why did you want to sign him for the EMX250 spot?“For several reasons. I think the main two reasons are Zachary has a good talent, a good feeling for the bike and second of all, he has a good name. I have to be open and honest with that. We’ve worked now one year together and it was not an easy year to be honest. I think Mickael has a special mentality, a special temperament. I did not interfere in Zachary’s riding or preparation, because that’s what Mickael wanted, and I respect that. So, it was Plucked from obscurity, Arminas Jasikonis was transformed into a podium threat under the guidance of Everts.After a strong rivalry in their riding days, Everts and Mickael Pichon were reunited under the Suzuki World awning as they both looked to help Zach Pichon’s progressionup to them. We just had to do the best as we can as a team and supplying the bike and the materials as good as possible. That’s what we did.”It seemed like there was really good team spirit under the awning at the race track. That surely must have been good to see each weekend?“It’s cool in a way, yes. It was nice to see that, although at the end of the season the whole atmosphere changed because the way everything was going. So, in a way it was nice to see the boys being very close. But from the other way, it’s not always ideal to be that close because they all talk a lot when they are together and perhaps talking about stuff they shouldn’t talk about. Also, Strjibos for example, he was as little bit outside of it, but this is how he is. That’s how his personality is, but the other three like Hunter, AJ and then Jeremy, they were really, really close. Kevin is the oldest guy and 2017 MX Special Edition“THE SEASON IS LONG, IT’S TOUGH WITHLOT OF TRAVELLING, SO THERE’S NOT MUCH TIME REALLY TO RECOVER DURING THE WE HAVE FOR SURE LEARNED A SEASON. LOT OF THINGS THOUGH.” A
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