Jorge Prado is having a superb season contesting the MXGP World Championship as heading into the final three rounds of the season has a championship lead of 92 points. The young Spaniard is chasing his third world title after winning two MX2 World titles and things are looking very positive.
We caught up with Prado to discuss his podium at Arnhem, managing the points lead and more.
You can listen or read below:
GateDrop: You said in the press conference you didn’t have the best feeling but you win championships on your bad days so still to be on the podium, you must be satisfied with that?
Prado: Yeah, I mean I had a tough weekend, physically I didn’t feel good all weekend long. Saturday wasn’t the worst but today I could just make it happen to win moto one and have a consistent moto two. I am happy about it, but when you are not 100% and you need to race a GP in these kind of conditions, it is not easy.
GateDrop: When you say you weren’t 100% physically, what do you think that was down too, the heat or anything specific?
Prado: Like I said, physically I wasn’t 100%. I was a bit sick this week and coming into the weekend I wasn’t feeling very good, that is what I meant.
GateDrop: New MXGP track in Arnhem as it is the first time having a GP, did you enjoy it and would you keep it on the calendar for next year?
Prado: Yeah, I think it is a nice track to race. There were very deep holes and it was very bumpy but it was a nice track. I liked it.
GateDrop: You obviously have a really big points lead in this championship battle and have done for a while, how does it feel to have such a big lead because you know it’s not over until the fat lady sings…
Prado: Yeah, we are doing very good. Every weekend I am winning at least a moto so you can see the consistency, it is there. Last weekend I felt so good in Sweden but in moto two it was just a shame that I couldn’t make passes to the front. I was feeling super good and I have a good level at the moment but the season is so long, it takes up so much energy and I have over 90 points lead because of something, you know? All the races at the beginning of the season I was leading and winning, it takes up energy. My body is now starting to feel a little bit heavier now we are near the end of the GP season.
GateDrop: With the big points lead when you are out on track are you riding risk free or would you say you’re still giving it 100%?
Prado: I think I have just gone 100% on a couple of occasions this year, not many. I would say more laps and not a full moto, I don’t want to make mistakes, you know. I don’t want to go on the ground, I don’t want to make stupid mistakes and that is why I don’t want to go to the limit. It is working.
GateDrop: Are you looking forward to the MXoN? Jett Lawrence gets a lot of hype and rightly so but I do feel people forget how fast the riders are at the front of MXGP!
Prado: I mean, my goal is to win the World Championship. The Nations is just a race we can enjoy with the team and I am looking forward to racing him as well as the rest of the field. I know he is doing good there but the level we have in MXGP, it is incredible and it is not only the level, the tracks we race… so rough! I mean it is not easy, when tracks are a bit more flat riders for an example like myself that are not so big it can help. When the track is like what we had today in Arnhem, you can still battle but you have to be 100% to be winning.
GateDrop; Just on Spanish MX, growing up there was only really Jonathan Barragan who was top but now there’s yourself, Ruben Fernandez and Oriol Oliver doing well in MX2, it’s good for Spanish Motocross and the MXoN?
Prado: I think right now being in the position I am, first and if everything goes well, I can bring the title home then it will be great for Spain and for the future of Spanish riders as well. Hopefully they can come and race in MXGP in the future as well. I am really looking forward to the Nations, we have a strong team I think so let’s enjoy the experience.
Interview: Andy McKinstry
Images: Danny Relouw
