RBPN: After riding most of last season on your own Kawasaki, how did the deal with the Maxxis LPE team come about?

BM: “I rode the last 5 months of last season on the Kawi and put in some good results and to be honest I was talking to a couple of teams, which for me was probably the first time ever that I’ve had options going into a new season. I was really happy with the Kawasaki, which influenced my decision a lot to move to LPE, they also offered up the best support package and everything and for me to be happy that was the most ideal place to be.”

RBPN: Looking at the season so far you’re sitting third in the championship with 6th, 5th and 3rd place overall finishes in the three meetings so far. How do you feel each round has gone for you?

BM: “To be honest until you just said I didn’t know where I’d finished in the first two rounds, for me they were a complete nightmare! The first round I just totally wrote it off, that to me was the worst day I’ve had this year racing a motorbike. I did a bit of practicing at Fatcat during the winter and I just hate it, it’s nothing to do with it being sand, I love riding the sand, I just never got on with the track the whole time we were practicing. I even did a warm up race there, like a club race and I hated it! I wasn’t looking forward to going there, I mean I know that the track’s nice, good, everything that a motocross track should be, which makes it hard for me to accept that I hate it, but the truth is that I just don’t like it. When I left there I was thinking, “oh sh*t man what have I done there?” I didn’t know if that was just how good I was or anything, I was kind of down on myself a little bit and was just hoping and praying that it wasn’t me flat out and that’s how it was going to be for the rest of the year….luckily it was just an off day! At the time I was super disappointed, but looking back, getting 6th wasn’t actually that bad.”

RBPN: Then it was down sarf to Landrake.

BM: “I always look forward to Landrake, even though it’s the furthest one we do away from the house. Again I think I rode okay, the first race I rode pretty decent and ended up fourth, then in the second one I got cleaned out by one of the 450’s on the second or third corner over a table top, they just lit the back end up on the real hardpack bit, took a right as I was going round them and cleaned me straight out off the track! I couldn’t get my bike started so had to come from dead last and managed to get back to 10th or something. Again it wasn’t a good day, it should have been good because I was enjoying myself but it turned out, through that second race, being pretty bad. To be fair Whitby is the only one where I’ve managed to put two races together, and even then it was terrible!”

RBPN: Even with third overall you thought Whitby went badly?

BM: “I was riding well and I appreciate that the result was okay and stuff but I was disappointed because I actually got a good start, I took a bit of a gamble in that I picked the very outside gate, thinking I could blast my way up the outside and it worked both times, I think I came out in the top 10 both times, but unfortunately In the second race I ate sh*t on the second corner! I think I was in 6th or 7th right behind Elliott and I washed the front end out going into those whoops and ended up sliding along on my face! By the time I got going again I was in 28th place but I rode really good and coming through the pack I think I was running the same times as EBB, it was a great race but I feel I messed it up. It’s a real case of shoulda, coulda, woulda, I know it’s a good result getting on the podium but I always feel like I coulda done more, I should have been in a better position.”

RBPN: You’ve shown that you have the speed to run right at the front.

BM: “I know that Elliott is going to be really hard to beat every week, he’s really on the gas, but to finish second or third every week is definitely not out of the question, that should be where I am every week I feel. I got third at the weekend but I’d have preferred to have got second, or even a win.

RBPN: The results so far suggest that if you can stay on the bike for both motos you should be challenging for the win?

BM: “Well if you read between the lines it says that, but of course you can’t say that until it happens, but if you look at it in depth then there’s no reason why I shouldn’t, and that’s where I expect to be. I expect a lot out of myself and to be finishing outside of the top three is something I definitely won’t be happy with.”

RBPN: Last season you were working 5 days a week with your dad, are you still working full time now?

BM: “No I don’t now, what happened there is that my little brother stole my job! I did intend on working again this year, but while I was away on a trip to America on holiday and then to Spain riding my dad had needed someone to help him so my brother stepped in and stole it from me and I just never got one since!!”

RBPN: So you’re living the dream now then!

BM: “To be honest I’m doing alright, I don’t want to make out that I’m a rock star or anything but I’m getting by right now with racing. It’s definitely not going to make a future for me, I can’t put any money in the bank, but I’m paying the bills right now through racing motocross and finishing up near the sharp end.”

RBPN: You must be noticing the benefit of being able to practice whenever you want?

BM: “Well that’s right, I’m sat here right now ready to go out and there’s not really anyone else here, it’s a big help.”

RBPN: Do you and Gert get out riding together?

BM: “We get on really well and over the winter we were pretty much riding buddies all the time, then once we got back from Spain Connor, Gert and I spent three or four weeks where we were out riding together almost daily. Since the season’s started I’ve moved in with my girlfriend so I’ve more commitment to be at home than I did before, so I don’t really get to see them during the week anymore.”

RBPN: Where would you like to see yourself finish this season?

BM: “Well I’m third in the championship now, Pocock’s a bit in front of me and Elliott has completely checked out and without sounding harsh it would probably take an injury for us guys to catch up with him as he’s obviously won every moto so far. I think to finish top three, to be on the podium at least overall at every round and to just keep progressing really.”