One of the saddest things from the 2022 MXGP season, or in fact, from 2022 in general when it comes to motocross or supercross is the fact we won’t see World MXGP champion Jeffrey Herlings race. We had all hoped he might be able to squeeze in a GP or two, maybe the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations, but now, we know that isn’t the case. Hell, at one point we all thought he would race the AMA Nationals, so seeing nothing of the KTM factory rider hasn’t been easy.

With more than 15 months out of racing (once the 2023 season begins) he will have been away from the track for the longest time in his career.

After his November 10, 2021, performance, where he not only went 1-1 to take the Mantova GP victory, but also scored his fifth World motocross championship, you have to wonder what type of “The Bullet” we get in 2023?

For many years we have all seen Herlings as the fastest rider on the planet, and the fact he has five World championships with his injury list, well, that is just astonishing. He has probably missed out on at least another five championships in years he was the fastest, but also sat in a hospital bed mid-season.

Now, with 15 months of not racing, once the 2023 season started next February, you have to question will he still be the fastest man on the planet. I say yes, because at 27 years of age, and turning 28 on 12 September, you have to think he is still in his prime. Can he get better, I am not so sure, because what we saw in 2021, was the man who once dominated the World battling hard with Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser. So easily winning GP’s might be a thing of the past for the Dutchman?

I could be wrong and maybe with a streak of GP victories in 2023, he might once again dominate, however that is one of the big question marks that awaits us next year. I have always been a believer that he might just be the fastest Grand Prix rider ever, and maybe even the fastest rider including AMA ever. Better than Stefan Everts, better than Ricky Carmichael and better than anyone else who has thrown their leg over a motorcycle, but of course, statistics are also something I believe in, and for that, obviously nobody beats the Belgian and American legends in that regard.

I like everyone else want to see him back, I see in my website stats that the MXGP championship had less eyes in 2022, just because Herlings wasn’t racing and while Slovenian legend, Tim Gajser walks away with this years MXGP title and enters the 2023 also as a five-time World champion really makes for an interesting 2023.

It would be the first time in the sports history that we enter a GP season with two five-time World champions going head-to-head. Back in the 2004 season, when Stefan Everts a seven-time World champion went up against Joel Smets a five-time World champion. Everts was the MX1 World champion and Smets the 650 World champion, but that is another story, for another day.

I am as excited as anyone to get this somewhat boring 2022 season out of the way and look forward to yet another classic battle as Gajser vs Herlings already begins to make my mouth water.