Managing Emotions | Team Morale At Red Bull KTM With Webb & Musquin

INSTAGRAM | @cooperwebb2
INSTAGRAM | @marvinmusquin25

In 2015, the above image is not one you would have ever expected to see. At that time Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin were vicious rivals, unfriendly with each other after a number of battles for the 250 class title in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. But time, maturity, and apologies all have a way in smoothing over any rough relationships and that’s what has happened between the two, who are now teammates at Red Bull KTM. There’s so much to unpack about this Webb-Musquin relationship right now, in that they’ve gone from one end of the racer-rivalry spectrum to another, despite being in a chase for the championship.

Last week Red Bull released the latest installment of their excellent Moto Spy video series, which is one of the top productions with its day to day shots of the emotions and actions that go into professional motocross, and the video was heavy with commentary that Musquin has been or is being ousted as the pride of Red Bull KTM in the United States due to Webb’s rise to championship leader. Is this indeed the case under the orange tent? After the two wrapped up the 2019 Indianapolis Supercross, I asked both point-blank if there was truth to the matter.

For a quick refresh, remember that Musquin has been a part of Red Bull KTM for over a decade, as the European division of the team plucked him from a very small program in the MX2 class and together they have gone on to win multiple championships around the world. Musquin was viewed as the ultimate on-track support to Ryan Dungey in the latter years of RD5’s career, a role that Musquin served well and still managed to score wins in and was basically considered the heir to the throne when Dungey retired. At no time since his arrival in the United States has Musquin been rumored to part ways with Red Bull KTM and he’s always managed to sign another contract extension far before his active deals have expired (his current contract with Red Bull KTM expires at the end of the 2019 season, but it’s expected he will ink and announce another deal with the orange team very soon). At twenty-nine-years-old, Musquin is in the prime of his career and as a contender for both SX and MX titles through recent years, shows no signs of slowing down.

Webb, meanwhile, is in the first part of a two-year contract at Red Bull KTM. 2019 was supposed to be a “rebuilding year” for Webb after two injury and issue-riddled seasons with Yamaha, which included a move to Florida and training alongside Musquin, Zach Osborne, and Jason Anderson at Aldon Baker’s place. In the early days under Aldon’s watch, Webb addressed the group in an attempt to make amends for his past actions as a brute competitor and said that he wants to be a peaceful part of the program. It was a necessary step that brought closure on the comments Webb and Musquin made about one another years ago. While Webb has been praised as a welcome training partner that puts in the necessary work, he has clicked off five wins in an impressive manner and is control of the 450 championship with six races left in the series.

There are reasons to suspect tension at the Baker’s Factory. It’s rare to see two title contenders maintain a daily contact as training partners and teammates, but this exact thing has happened in the past two seasons with different results. Remember the talk last year about the rift the came between Musquin and Jason Anderson at the Baker’s Factory, tension that was initially downplayed but became impossible to miss after repeated on-track contact between the two? At the time, many were quick to point out that Musquin might have expected to be the “top rider” at the training compound when Ryan Dungey retired until Anderson became the point leader. Webb has a much different personality than Musquin (the same can be said for Anderson) so it would be understandable if his desire to win could create a similar situation.

Musquin was the first person that I talked to about the situation during our How Was Your Weekend interview following his season-first Main Event win at Indianapolis. Below is a full transcript of our conversation.

MA: I keep seeing this thing, and it’s a carbon copy of last year, “Is there this internal battle of who is number on at KTM or Aldon’s place?” But after seeing you and Cooper tonight, he was one of the first people to come over and congratulate you. Considering your past, this shows that you have a great relationship and there’s no tension really, right?

MM: It’s definitely not easy when you’re on the same team and you’re battling for the championship and race wins. But yeah, we started off back in October with a chat with Coop and it came from him. He was definitely ah, a little bit tough on his competition back in the day, and he knew that. I think he learned and it’s definitely a lot better now. We see each other every day, riding on the bicycle with Aldon, and we have the same program. So, we respect each other, for sure, but we are not great friends. We are cool and that’s how it’s supposed to be. If it’s not, it can’t work. Why would you fight the guy? It has been going good and he’s been beating me, but today I was up front and I won. He was all cool with that. He’s leading the championship, so I need to win more races and get up there.

This was a telling statement in a few ways as Musquin noted that yes, there was an adjustment to Webb’s attitude and life at the Baker’s Factory, but no, there is no major tension despite the two not having the close friendship that Musquin and Dungey shared. It also seems like Musquin has learned that it’s not worth fighting with a person in your daily life, the way he did with Anderson in 2018. This led to the follow-up question.

MA: I mean more so from your perspective, though. People act like, “Marvin is probably having a tough time with this.” But you’re not; you view it as a part of racing.

MM: People really like drama and like to see, ‘Marvin was the number one guy and now Cooper is number one.’ We have the same bike, the same support. Yeah, you can say number one because he is ahead of me in the championship, but that’s it. Other than that, the team is very supportive of each other and we have both been on the podium, and that’s the only team that able to do that. I cannot ask for more.

Musquin’s reply confirmed that no, Red Bull KTM is not going to bring an idea of favoritism into the already big challenge of chasing the championship and that both riders receive the same level of attention and support. Webb backed up that idea moments later when we talked in the Red Bull KTM rig.

MA: There’s been a lot of talk about who is the number one within KTM and it’s a lot of controversy and speculation about it, but you were one of the first people to congratulate Marvin tonight. Considering the history you guys have from the past, you going down there and saying your piece, there does not seem to be any weird tension within the team.

CW: People say it all the time. And who cares who the A or B guy is? There is no A or B guy, it’s a team. I don’t where people get that. At least for me, I don’t look at it that way nor do I care. It’s cool to see that we train together and ride together almost every day. Obviously, I want to beat him, but it was cool to see him get his first win of the season and I was there to congratulate.

With six races remaining and fourteen points separating Webb and Musquin in the points, we’re set to see a thrilling finish to the season. Will the old rivalry flare up or will cooler heads prevail? I personally expect the two to race cleanly through the final lap in Las Vegas, and that the winner of the championship will be the rider that was most consistent through the last rounds, not the person that took out the other in a moment of emotion. There’s just enough distance between Webb and Musquin on race day as Musquin has a motorhome to use as a base while Webb stays in the Red Bull KTM rig, so it’s not like they’re stepping over each other when getting geared up. Baker, meanwhile, makes it clear that he’s the one in charge during the training days at the Florida compound and so it’s not like one rider will get preferential treatment.

Having two riders fighting for a championship is a dream for a team, but it brings a new group of challenges and it’s something that KTM seems fairly well prepared for. They have managed to keep Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings separate but equal in the MXGP scene and the American division of the team had to have learned a lot on managing competitors last year between Anderson and Musquin. The Austrian company is determined to start a new empire and they won’t let internal disputes slow the progress, thanks to the same support for all riders, willingness to build bikes to suit a rider’s needs, and a clear understanding that if you a part of the team you are expected to do your best for the team, no matter who your competitor is.