Liam Everts is charging his way up the MX2 championship standings. The Red Bull KTM Factory rider, who started the year with two solid wins in the pre-season, then missed the opening Grand Prix in Argentina with a thumb injury has really shown a maturity in 2024 that makes him a serious contender for the World title this year.

He was my tip to be World champion in 2024 after his pre-season victories and I still believed that was possible after his thumb injury and missing the opener. As it is looking now, he is probably the rider with the most consistency in the last three rounds and has made the biggest move in the MX2 points standings.

Currently Everts is third in the title race on 230 points, some 62 points away from series leader and red-hot Kay De Wolf. Everts is also just 18 points behind second placed man Simon Langenfelder and closing up on the German fast.

When you consider the Belgian has gone 2-3-2-1-1-1-11-3-2 in the last three GPs, then it is clear consistency isn’t a problem. That 11th in the qualification race in Spain last weekend came due to a crash early on, but he fought through the field from around 30th to climb close to the top ten.

When you consider, the two riders above him, De Wolf and Langenfelder haven’t even been close to that type of consistency, then you just know that charging to the very top of the MX2 championship points is very possible. Mental strength, confidence and maturity are three things I think of when speaking to this very polite and well brought up youngster.

We caught up with Everts after his third overall in Lugo, Spain last weekend and as always, he was honest, realistic and pretty chilled out. We talked about his win in Portugal and also his podium in Spain.

MXLarge: Hey, in Trentino I did an interview with you, and I said that Portugal was tacky, and you said it was rock hard. It was tacky right?

Everts: (A big smile) Ok, but last year it felt rock hard, it was definitely tacky this year (laughing), which was nice to see.

MXLarge: Tell me, I wasn’t in Portugal, but I can imagine a lot of people brought up Foxhills 1998 and you dad. You just looked so good, and you have mentioned you do a lot of trials riding and that must help your balance. How good is it to feel like that in the mud?

Everts: It is just awesome you know. You see a lot of guys struggling and you just pass them like, toot, toot, toot. No RPM’s, you don’t over-heat the bike, you don’t use the clutch. My dad said, some races you never forget, and you get a few like this and this was definitely one.

MXLarge: How many people brought that up, or that you looked like your dad that weekend?

Everts: A shit load (laughing). I am not getting pissed off about it.

MXLarge: You shouldn’t, he wasn’t bad in the mud.

Everts: Of course, it is a nice compliment. I hope I can do better than him in the mud maybe. A lot of people mentioned it though.

MXLarge: How did you feel about the weekend?

Everts: I am quite happy actually, considering how I was feeling today, I was under the weather. I had stomach cramps, I couldn’t keep anything down, on the toilet a lot.

MXLarge: Did that weaken you at all?

Everts: Yes, it was hard to get my body fuelled, you know, but I did well. I managed to get two good starts and just did what I did, stayed upright, kept a cool head and did what I could do. Second moto was good enough for a second. I took a second and didn’t risk going with Lucas for first. I knew I didn’t have that pace. Maybe at the end I was closing, because Kay was closing on me. Its cool to be on the podium.

MXLarge: It seems like its you, Kay and Lucas who really have the speed and there isn’t a lot between you and them. Is that how you feel?

Everts: No, Kay showed today he is quick, but for me it is the package, you need to be quick, you need to get the start and that is why I got the podium eventually. I got two good starts. That is where you have to be smart, you have to beat your contenders in their weak spots. I am learning, obviously I missed one round, but I am trying to hustle my way back into it. I am doing what I can.

MXlarge: The fact that you missed the opening round, and you are already third in the points, which is pretty impressive?

Everts: Yes, it is surprising to me really. I mean, I don’t really look at the points. Here and there somebody tells you where you are at. We are not even a third into the championship. I am not really worried about it; I am just doing the best I can and that is all I think about at the moment.

MXLarge: Is this the type of circuit that suits you?

Everts: Yes and no mate. It is a technical track, but I felt today I didn’t have the edge.

MXLarge: How do you look going into each round, for a win, to be consistent, podiums. What is your mind set going into the rounds?

Everts: No, I just focus on my riding and getting the best out of myself. Today, third was the best I could manage. You always leave something on the table right. What if, what if, what if, but that doesn’t buy you anything. Eventually, you work with it, you deal with it, and you improve from it, and you come back next round.

MXlarge: What happened in the qualification race, with the crash?

Everts: I actually just crashed by myself. My rear wheel got stuck in an inside rut and I just front flipped actually. I landed in between the waves, so my crash wasn’t that bad, so I just rolled out of it, but then three bikes coming my way, one was mine bike and two other ones. I was talking with my team-mate (Andrea Adamo) before the Sunday race. We said let’s not take each other out, we have enough other guys to beat. I think we rectified that from yesterday, but even yesterday, after the crash, my handlebar was bent, clutch lever was bent, I still tried to get that one point you know. I just came up short.

MXLarge: What are you not happy with apart from not feeling well?

Everts: I am not happy about the first start. If I look at the footage, if I had kept the throttle open just a little longer, I would have left here with two holeshot plates, so, something to learn from and to work on. I think I did learn, because I took it on in the second moto and took the holeshot.

MXlarge: I know you don’t concentrate on other guys, you just concentrate on yourself, but Kays starts haven’t been great of late?

Everts: Could be, I don’t know where he came from, I just saw he was behind me at the end. I don’t know where he starts. I just look at my own starts and try and manage.

MXLarge: Do you like the next two, France and Germany?

Everts: For me the next one is France, Germany is still a long way ahead. I really take it just weekend by weekend. Whatever the weather will be, it will be, and you can’t control it, rain or shine.

Ray Archer images