As part of our Antonio Cairoli interview from Lommel we asked one of the GOAT’s of the game his thoughts on Jorge Prado in the US, what it was like to race Prado as a teammate in MXGP and got his thoughts on Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan having seen both up close recently in the USA.
Prado in America
Jorge, I’m really sad for him, of course, because I know him since he was riding 85, and he was with us a lot of years, riding with myself, and we also battled some races. And it seems now like it’s quite of a struggle for him because, I mean, he complains about the bike, okay, but I think only with his technique and only with his knowledge and experience and training he has to be top five every race, even if he’s struggling a lot. So seeing him struggling that much, it’s not nice, of course, and for sure, I mean, I talk with him, he’s figuring out a lot of difficulties on the team there, but I hope he can figure it out and show what he’s capable of.
Racing Prado as a teammate in MXGP
Let’s say that we had some troubles on that year because of course he always had good starts. He was always in front, but sometimes he didn’t have the fitness to stay in front for all the time, and I was a guy who was never a guy who made hard passes, so I always tried to make clean passes in my career, and with him, which is a guy very difficult to pass, he made extra difficult for sure in a lot of situations. In 2020, especially, 19 and 20, where I thought of course I could fight for the title still, and (I) lost a couple of rounds, because I lost a couple of times with him in a lot of races.
Also, talking with him, I say, we need to work together, and of course, I mean, we need to try to let us both go in front, not other riders pass and just drop us. We need to cooperate, and he said , ‘no, it’s not true. I mean, I’m not doing this to you,’ Okay, in the end, when somebody is telling this, in the end, we didn’t get along anymore in the last part of the season. Because I always prefer to have a good relationship with my teammates that say to co-operate together if it’s faster I let you by, if you are faster I let you buy. Of course not the last two laps where we are winning the GP, but the beginning of the race, especially when the guys in front are pulling away and we are stopping each other, it makes no sense (to hold each other up). That’s why we lost also some good races, especially with Jeffrey, going away.
But yeah, it’s a part of racing. I mean, I tell him this, so I’m nothing to hide, so he knows what I think about it, the team knows, he knows. But in the end, he was also young, he wanted to show, he wanted to stay in front of me, which I understand, it’s a character, it’s part of a youngster’s character. So in the end, we are still quite friends, let’s say, and if he needs anything, I’m always there, I try to help everybody, even with Jeffrey, when I was team manager of the team.
On Lawrence who he got to share a track with in America…
I mean, of course Jett is on another level, I think we compared with the rest, but not so much speed, because he is also fast, very fast, but like mentally, how he sees the track, how he work the motos, how he adapts to the evolving track, and understanding the track, and moving around. I think it’s, for me, one of the best riders I’ve ever seen in the last 20 years.
What he does on track, it’s unbelievable, and if you follow him, it everything looks easy, of course, I’m 25 years older than him, let’s say, so my reaction is that a lot of things, it’s lower of course, but, following him around the track, you say, oh, this part of the track is easy, so let’s try, then you pass, and you say, no, it’s not so easy comapred to it looks, he makes things look very easy! I really have a lot of respect for him, he’s such a nice guy, and very humble, let’s say, really, really technical, really fast, so for me, he’s one of the best of the last 20 years, without any doubt – if it’s not the best.
Can Deegan beat Jett?
For me, Haiden is very fast, but also he’s quite strong mentally, playing with other riders around, these make a lot of difference when you ride against somebody who has a lot of self-confidence, and even if you are a bit, let’s say, more technical, because he’s fast, of course, but Jett for sure is more technical than him.
But I think it’s going to be interesting. Of course, it’s going to be difficult for him to keep up with Jett, because I think Jett also is coming from an injury this year, so he’s very fast, of course, but I think he (Jett) can still grow in a lot of things, and will be a problem for the riders, you know, to catch him and to fight him.
Watch the full interview below including thoughts on his legendary career, his battles with Jeffrey Herlings and racing the Ducati in America, with the Italian still not able to ride since his burn in America! Some of his answers and thought processes reveal just why he is a nine-time world champ and universally liked and respected around the world.
