Ben Watson is without question a big talent, somebody who could easily win a bunch of Grand Prix’s and fight for World championships. After a great season in 2018 where he finished fourth in the MX2 championship, everyone expected him to maybe win a GP or two in 2019 and fight for a top three.

While it hasn’t worked out that way, the Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Factory rider isn’t doing as badly as it seems. Hanging around the top five in the World, the British rider could easily still finish top three, and he knows that good races are coming. We caught up to him last weekend in Latvia.

MXLarge: Tell me something. It is like you are having a less than impressive season, but your position in the championship isn’t that bad. How do you see it?

Watson: I know, I have been consistently average let’s say. From the beginning of the season it has been like, it could be a lot better, and it could be a lot worse. I had a couple of weeks, last month let’s say, where I was in a corner and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. It was tough mentally, because I was not out there racing with the intensity that I should be. Now it is coming better, from this week and last week. I am more myself now. I got 4-4 in Latvia, which is a little more like myself. I am just plugging away. I haven’t had a terrible weekend, and I am just fighting and now I think it is paying off in the championship, because I am like five points from fourth place again. When you see last season, I was ecstatic to be fighting for fourth place in the championship, but now I am in a similar situation, but it feels like I am having a terrible season. I just need to keep plugging away and keep building and it can be good in the end.

MXlarge: Does it make it more difficult, or easier that Jago is doing so well, or does it have nothing to do with you?

Watson: It has nothing to do with me. We hardly ride together, we do a little bit of physical training together, but no riding.

MXlarge: But you want to beat your teammate or not?

Watson: I am just happy for him and for the team, because I know we all work as one and I know if I won an overall Jago would be pumped for me. He is a great guy and works hard, just like the whole team. It is nice to see it paying off. We know the bike is good and we can fight for a win and I am always happy when Jago does well.

MXlarge: You mentioned fighting for fourth and the difference with the feeling from last year, do you think that is maybe also just a part of a career, because it seems a lot of guys make progress, then stagnate a little, then move forward again? Maybe the second part of the season it will take off again?

Watson: Yes, definitely, because if everything was going well I might go home and put a movie on and sit down and watch that, and not care that everything is going well, but when something is not right, you go home and do your work. If you don’t have rough patches, it is all about learning and building and if I have a bad day I still try and enjoy it.

MXlarge: I was speaking with Hans (Corvers) on Saturday in Latvia, and asked him about you, and mentioned what you and I just talked about, how the season isn’t going great, but also not bad and he said, “just watch, it is coming good with Ben now.” Was there a reason why he said that?

Watson: I don’t think so, but he has been saying to me I was in a corner and every time I try and stand up; I get knocked down. People crashing in front of me, my starts are terrible, and I was just not relaxed, and I needed to get back to how I was and now I feel a lot more like myself and how I felt last year. We know what potential I have and when things go better, I can be really fast. I think Hans just wants me to believe in myself and it will be okay.

MXLarge: I guess the back to the wall thing is only going to prepare you better for when moments do go wrong later in your career, maybe when you are fighting for a championship or something like that?

Watson: Of course, because if you never get knocked down, you won’t know how to get back up. I am over the moon to finish fourth in a Grand Prix, for some people it is a dream. Now I have experienced a podium and I just want to be better. Just learn when you get knocked down.

MXlarge: I was speaking to Mitchell Harrison, who has ridden the AMA Nationals and did really well in the USGP a couple of years ago. I spoke to him before he started the GPs, in March or something, and then again after he had ridden a few rounds. At first, he expected to be top five or top ten, but after doing those few rounds, he is shocked how deep MX2 really is. Is it better this year than last year, like tougher?

Watson: There are a couple of riders who have left, but now it is like, I feel like I could get a second, or an eight, but I do get the feeling it might also be the tracks. For the second moto today, they graded the whole track, they left just two or three sections rough. The first laps are so fast and wide open, and everyone is the same pace and then it’s the start that counts. The field is deep, but I don’t feel that other guys have come in, the younger riders are getting stronger and the top guys are not on the limit, but it is difficult to go as fast as Prado at the moment, but I think the tracks have been a part of the field being closer.

MXlarge: Got Germany coming up and the two in Indonesia. I know you like the fly-aways.

Watson: I do, for sure the two in Indonesia, because I know those ones will be really hot and I know my condition is really good. I like to have something as difficult as possible and the tougher the better for me. Semarang is really fast and last year the prep wasn’t that good, the locals with the big fire hoses. I remember last year Jago had a crash in the sighting lap, because the ground was really hot and they put water on it, it can be slippery. I am looking forward to those races.

Bavo Swijgers images