King Cairoli - Championship Leader

You just have to love Antonio Cairoli. At 33 years old, the nine-time World motocross champion just gets better and better. I have never seen the legend push to the limits he has pushed this year. Even compared to his 2018 battles with Jeffrey Herlings, the Italian is pushing even harder in 2019 and having a lot of success. Where he gets his amazing determination from, I don’t know, but you have to give him 100% respect for his attitude and desire to win.

After four rounds Cairoli has three GP wins, and has led an amazing 89 laps, compared to 33 by Tim Gajser, while Max Anstie led seven at Matterley Basin and Romain Febvre led five in round one in Argentina. Even in the GP Cairoli lost, in Trentino, he led more laps than Gajser (21 to 15).

With 88 Grand Prix victories, the brilliant Sicilian is just 13 GP wins from passing Stefan Everts, who has 101 GP wins, and with Cairoli clearly showing no sign of wanting to stop, even that 102 GP wins doesn’t seem out of question.

I remember watching Cairoli back in 2004 (15 years ago), the first year he won a Grand Prix, at the famous Namur circuit in Belgium. Even before Namur, it was clear Cairoli was special, and I am not somebody who can see talent easily, but with the Italian, it stood out like a full moon, or a lightning bolt. He was going to be winning a lot more GPs.

Sure, I love what Jeffrey Herlings does, and I won’t hide the fact I am a massive Jeffrey Herlings fan and it would be stupid not to be impressed with the Dutchman’s speed and unwillingness to try and claim greatness, but in those moments of enjoying Herlings speed, it would be just as stupid to ignore the greatness of Cairoli.

It has easily been the best start to a season in his whole career and one that makes you wonder if he could have even done this had Herlings been in the field.

And as we wait for the next round of the MXGP championship, set for Mantova in Italy, we also await to see if Cairoli can score GP win number 89 and move a step closer to both Everts records of World titles and GP wins.

One this is for sure, without another GP victory, or another World title, Antonio Cairoli belongs right at the very top of the motocross history books. Already broken many records in the sport, the little guy from the south of Italy has time and time again made us all happy to be involved in this era of motocross.

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