Interview: Jorge Prado on the British GP and Gas Gas

We caught up with a happy Jorge Prado after a hard fought second moto victory at Matterley Basin left the Spaniard in second overall and perfectly placed at the start of a long MXGP season on his first MXGP on the Gas Gas!

We also get the super smooth Spaniard’s take on representing the Gas Gas brand in 2022.

Jorge Prado, good day, well it ended well! First moto first to fourth but then you regrouped and seemed to put it together at the end of the race.

Yeah, first moto I got a good start and then I felt a little bit rusty and made a couple of mistakes. Last year at the end I was riding injured so I was not used to riding up front and that pace so didn’t feel comfortable, made a couple of mistakes and dropped back to fourth. The last three laps I kind of re-grouped a little bit and I knew the second moto would be better and that’s how it went.

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I got a holeshot again and pulled away but Gajser was flying and he caught me, passed me and then he made a small mistake, that’s what can happen when we are racing to the limit. I didn’t make any mistakes anymore, I know I had that chance and I had to take it with both hands and I won the second moto. Getting second on the podium, it’s a good start to the season.

Just going back to that first moto, did you change much at the end of the race?

I changed a little bit my riding, I got a little bit more loose. Not really the lines, but I was like, ok, I got my lines, Iet’s put it together, a better way of riding and that’s it.

The second moto I think you put your fastest lap of the race on the last lap! Was that you all in on the last lap?

Yeah I kind of went all in. Gajser was behind me and I had to give it everything I had, obviously I didn’t go over the limit because then mistakes can happen like crashes. I knew I had to go fast but at the same time ride good but don’t make any mistakes and make it happen. It was good, feeling good, fitness is okay, bike is okay, so happy.

The last two years you had Covid, had injuries that inhibited both years, I feel like this is your first full winter being healthy (in MXGP), do you feel much better coming in?

I feel healthy and that is very important. When I was riding I was feeling myself and that’s good because we can build from here, it is still early in the season so we will get better and better.

So Gas Gas, you are the team leader and probably the biggest name riding for Gas Gas globally, do you enjoy that? Do you feel pressure? Obviously a Spanish connection there as well!

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Yeah, it’s great to move to Gas Gas, like you said, Spanish background. it’s good because it’s a change, different colours, the brand is a little more wild, a little more young. It’s nice, it’s a new motivation. They are doing a lot of nice stuff on social media making some cool videos and how the bikes looks, it’s amazing, we are looking good in red, so it’s good.

I might have overreacted slightly, you didn’t get a holeshot in Riola, you didn’t get a holeshot yesterday, you were still starting well but not the holeshot! Were you wondering where your starts had went, or where you calm? Because today you came out with two holeshots likes normal!

Well, on Saturday the gate dropped directly, after four seconds, I was not even ready, that’s why I didn’t get a holeshot but today I made it happen, when it counts I was there, that’s important. Starts are difficult because everybody starts really good lately, the bikes are developing a lot. So yeah, you need to be 100% focussed on the gate make everything right to make a holeshot. I’m very happy because I could make two good starts together. Like you said, in Riola I was not there 100% but yeah, today was good.

The bike itself, a new bike, do you feel there is a lot more to come from that in terms of comfort or have you adapted well and what are the differences from last year?

I would say it’s more comfortable, that’s a positive step forward and it makes me feel more comfortable, more relaxed and can make my laps more not more easy, but more comfortable and that’s key to going to the race in good form.

Just finally, Antonio Cairoli retired last year, you have had good battles with him and I’m sure he has taught you a lot previously, is he helping you this season or any words of advice?

He is testing for the KTM group and he comes also to the races and he is looking around and if he can give us advice he is there.