At the start of the 2024 season, Jorge Prado got his first taste of Supercross action. After winning his first MXGP World Championship title, he was able to taste the waters in America and contested the first four rounds of the AMA Supercross series. Fast forward a year and the Spaniard is now in America full time after inking a deal with Kawasaki.
We caught up with Prado to discuss the move and more ahead of his Kawasaki Supercross debut this weekend.
GateDrop: Jorge, It’s taken me a while to get used to the whole setup, Monster Energy Kawasaki. What about yourself? Was it hard to get used to a green fender when you started riding?
Prado: Yeah, I mean, it’s cool. Everything’s different, everything’s new. New country, new championship, new bike, new team. I’m happy to get this going here in A1. We’ll see. I’m happy for this new adventure.
GateDrop: How is the bike? I know you had a couple of incidents there during the off season. You didn’t get the time on the bike you probably needed coming into the main season, but do you still feel more comfortable on it than you did on the GasGas coming here last year?
Prado: Yeah, obviously the bike is in a very good spot. I would have liked to get a bit more riding for A1, but it is what it is. I feel good. Still a lot to improve, but it’s a good start, so we’ll see how we feel on the weekend.
GateDrop: You get good starts, obviously. If you get a good start at the first few rounds, but you don’t feel you’re quite where you need to be, will it be hard to calm yourself down and not try to run with the likes of Jett and Eli on those guys and potentially crash? Or are you able to calm yourself down and accept where you are? Usually you’re able to do that, but Supercross is pretty intense…
Prado: We’ll see. I mean, I will just ride my pace and see what it is, right? Obviously I’m far, I feel like from contesting for wins or even top threes or top fives. I just need to ride my pace. I don’t want to get injured. I just want to keep building. I have no pressure from the team. I have great people around me that are helping me to grow, and that’s it.
GateDrop: What’s been the toughest thing for you to learn this off-season on the Supercross track?
Prado: Toughest thing? I think just everything. Everything takes time. Training with a different setup, jumping, whoops, everything’s different.
GateDrop: How’s the lifestyle? Obviously it is really sunny here…
Prado: Yeah, the lifestyle is not bad. Everything is super expensive here compared to Europe, like crazy. But for the rest, super sunny, so it’s cool. You get out in the morning and sunshine. You can enjoy it better.
GateDrop: Whenever I left Dublin, it was minus four. Obviously you’re used to being in Belgium over winter… You must like the heat!
Prado: Yeah, but here we are over 22 degrees every day. We even have some days in 26 degrees, so it is crazy.
GateDrop: Does it make it just easier to go and train in that sort of weather, or do you mind training in the winter?
Prado: I mean, no, it’s better. It’s better when it’s sunny, better than minus four or even five degrees. So, no, better to train and do the practicing with this weather.
GateDrop: Just on MXGP, they maybe don’t build the stars up. Obviously Jeffrey is kind of maybe the biggest star there, but there’s Tim, Romain and those guys, what do you think they can do better to build those stars as big as the stars are in America here?
Prado: Well, it’s a different championship. I feel like MXGP maybe needs to figure it out. That’s it, I’m now racing here in the US, so I’m focusing here.
GateDrop: Will you watch MXGP this year, maybe text Herlings or anything like that?
Prado: Yeah, obviously I love motocross, so I will probably watch some of the races. But, you know, we are racing every single weekend, so at the same time… But yeah, I mean, we have time. We have time to watch my races here and time to watch MXGP, so why not?
GateDrop: Are you worried about burnout at all? You’ve been going at such a high level with high pressure championship intensity, and now, as you mentioned, 31 races ahead of you…
Prado: No, not at all. No, I mean, this is… I feel like this will extend even my career, because everything is new, and I’m now just turning 24, and I feel like I’m starting all from zero again, so it’s cool.
GateDrop: Just on your future, you’re not planning to come back to MXGP? Is this it for you now for like the next seven years, trying to win a Supercross title and an outdoor title. Is that the goal?
Prado: I don’t know. I mean, my goal is to get as many titles as possible, or to ever get a title. First of all, to get a title, and then enjoy riding. That’s why I’m here.
GateDrop: Thank you very much, Jorge.
