Features

Insight: Unrelenting Prado secures MXGP crown

Prado shares his thoughts.

Published

3 months ago

September 18, 2023

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing star Jorge Prado secured his first MXGP title in Italy, the home GP for his team, to cap off a sensational season in style, where he’s clearly been the man to beat.

Managing his season masterfully and hardly putting a foot wrong, a relieved and ecstatic Prado, whose outpouring of emotion illustrated just what it meant to him, was delighted to finally get the job done in what’s been a season littered with upside.

Here’s a typed up version of what he had to say in the post-race press conference. Thanks to Lorenzo Resta for providing the recording.

Press Conference: Tell us how it feels to finally be the new world champion?

Jorge Prado: I mean, I guess I don’t have enough words to describe the feeling because it’s something very special.

You got to say, yeah, all that hard work pays off and all that, but I work hard every year. And this year, it came together. I have believed in the championship since the very first race. It’s not easy. There’s so many moments where something can happen, and so many moments that I’ve needed to keep my concentration and keep working. And I’ve been doing it correctly this year. So I’m super happy.

I think I had the right people around me supporting me. And I think that also made a difference. I’m super happy about this, as I was racing today with a lot of stress.

Knowing that today would be the day and I have my whole family here, I thought I better do it here. I’m just super happy about my riding and super happy about the whole season.

Once I crossed the finish line, I was still happy about the win, and then I just threw my head up and I saw my family, my girlfriend, my team, everybody there and I couldn’t believe it. Because, I mean, the chances to win in the first moto were not that big so it was something incredible. That feeling when everything, you know, starts to fall into place, that’s hard to describe.

It’s hard because you go through so many emotions during the years, so many injuries, the ups and downs, and sometimes you think that maybe I can never be world champion one day. So the stress was there already since so many rounds. And yeah, I woke up every day working hard to be world champion. I dreamt so many times I could be world champion. And it’s true, yeah, my dream came into reality. And this is super special. Getting this World Championship and I’m super proud I need to say about myself because I’m the guy, you know, obviously I made it happen, and stayed calm in very difficult situations.

PC: Congratulations to you for winning the championship, must be something special also for your team to win in Italy on such a track on this special occasion to give your team in Italy, this incredible piece of history?

JP: I didn’t know that my family was coming like really my whole family was coming. I was speaking with them one week ago and then they said we’ll come to Matterley so I was like, alright, but I think I can make it happen in Maggiora, so you will be sad that you are not going to go see it (if I win). So it was nice that they showed up on Friday along with some very close friends and it already started to be special on Friday. And yeah, like you said, the team De Carli being Italian and getting the title here, I think it’s something super special. It’s incredible. Managing the nerves race by race gave me the confidence to get it done.

PC: It must have been a very demanding season?

JP: Yeah, I managed the championship very, very well. My nerves were big sometimes fighting those other guys and still being able to get points. My starts where good all year and here today I got two holesots – I’ve been like a rocket out of the gate.

PC: How was the battle with Febvre

JP: I don’t need to show them my best (all the time), I just do it like this, you know, not a problem. But I also understand the situation that he (Febvre) has been trying to chase me and so if I wasn’t winning the overall, I was gaining or pulling away from him in the championship. But we all know him, he’s sometimes a bit strange, also out of the track, and he’s the only guy that doesn’t even say hi to me. I don’t think it’s personal. I know he likes to race hard. It’s been very hard the last races and I need to say big respect to him for that because he’s, you know, the guy on the other side. But we are here because we like racing and riding our dirt bikes. And we had some moments in the second moto. But we can look back with a big smile.

Lead Image: GasGas

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Published

7 hours ago

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Edward Stratmann

MX Vice’s tester Brad Wheeler jumped on the all-new 2024 Kawasaki KX450. Check out the video below to get his thoughts and insights on this excellent bike from his time at the Kawasaki test in Spain.

Lead Image: Supplied

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Breaking News

Alberto Forato signs up for Standing Construct Honda MXGP

Published

1 day ago

December 4, 2023

James Burfield

Although it’s been speculated for a while, it’s always great to get the official PR! One of the rider’s favourite teams to work under, Standing Construct Honda have secured the young and talented Alberto Forato for 2024. Along with Pauls Jonass the team will surely be not just one of the professional in the paddock but fun and friendly! A great match.

Standing Construct Honda MXGP is delighted to announce the signing of Italian sensation Alberto Forato for the upcoming 2024 MXGP season. The 23-year-old talent is set to campaign a Honda CRF450R alongside Pauls Jonass in the highly anticipated 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Forato first made waves on the world stage in 2013 in the European Championship EMX150 class, where he competed on a Honda CRF150 and finished as the championship runner-up. Since then, his remarkable talent has propelled him through the ranks.

Starting his 450 career in 2021, “Alby” has demonstrated consistent improvement each year. After finishing 18^th overall in his first full season in MXGP, he has progressed impressively, and finished 11^th in 2022.

Continuing his upward trajectory, the charismatic #303 achieved four top-five race finishes in 2023, which includes a thrilling third-place finish in Race 1 at his home Grand Prix in Maggiora.

He was also one of only six riders to win a Qualifying Race and ended his 2023 campaign ranked seventh in the world.

Alberto Forato:
“I’m happy to be back with the Honda family and to join the Standing Construct Honda MXGP team. It’s so important to have a solid team behind you and a strong bike, so I’m really looking forward to the new challenge and seeing what we can do in 2024.”

Tim Mathys:
“We are pleased to welcome Alberto Forato to the team for the 2024 MXGP season. We’ve been watching him in MXGP over the past two years, and his progress has been nothing short of impressive. He will be a great addition to our team, and we look forward to seeing what he, together with Pauls Jonass, can achieve!”

Features

Stat Attack: Top Fours of 2023

Check it.

Published

5 days ago

November 30, 2023

Edward Stratmann

As we look towards the 2024 season, MX Vice and Paul Pearcy have joined forces again to deliver some quality statistics, as we’ll be running through the top 10 in each championship across 2023 (MXGP, MX2, 450, 250 – AMA Supercross, SMX and Outdoors). Here all the riders that secured 4th in their respective title races.

MX 2

4) Liam Everts

Qualifying Race Podiums: 7; Liam only missed scoring points in the qualifying race at 1 round, Maggiora.
Race Podiums: 14
Race Wins: 1; Race 2 at Teutschenthal
Race Laps Led: 39
GP Podiums: 8
GP Wins: 3; Teutschenthal, Arnhem, and Afyonkarahisar

Averages

Timed Practice: 8.421
Qualifying Race Finish: 5.105; (3rd best in class)
Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 7.157
Qualifying Points: 118; (3rd best in class)
Race Finishes: 6.157 in Race 1, 5.111 in Race 2
GP Overalls: 5.526
Race First Lap Position: 6.894
Race Points: 308 from Race 1, 308 from Race 2(3rd best in class in Race 2 points earned)

Series Points: 734

MXGP

4) Glenn Coldenhoff

Qualifying Race Podiums: 4
Qualifying Race Wins: 1; Lommel
Qualifying Race Laps Led: 6
Race Podiums: 9
Race Wins: 1; Race 2 at Sardegna
Race Laps Led: 48
GP Podiums: 5

Averages

Timed Practice: 7.421
Qualifying Race Finishes: 6.778
Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 7.944
Qualifying Race Points: 81
Race Finishes: 5th in Race 1(2nd best in class); 6.368 in Race 2
GP Overalls: 5.631
Race First Lap Position: 6.973
Race Points: 319 from Race 1, 295 from Race 2

Series Points: 695

250 West Supercross

4) Enzo Lopes

Heat Race Podiums: 3
Heat Race Win: 1; Denver
Heat Race Laps Led: 11

Averages

Qualifying: 4.778
Heat Race Finishes: 3.571
Heat Race First Lap Position: 4th
Main Event Finishes: 6.444
Main Event First Lap Position: 9.481

Series Points: 149

250 East Supercross

4) Jordon Smith

Heat Race Podiums: 6
Heat Race Wins: 3; Houston, Indy, Nashville
Heat Race Laps Led: 26; (Tied for 2nd most in class)
Main Event Podiums: 4
Main Event Laps Led: 19

Averages

Qualifying: 2.5
Heat Race Finishes: 4.111
Heat Race First Lap Position: 2.778; (2nd best in class)
LCQ Finish: 7th
LCQ First Lap Position: 20th
Main Event Finishes: 6.111
Main Event First Lap Position: 7.518

Series Points: 159

450 Supercross

4) Ken Roczen

Heat Race Podiums: 11; (Ken landed on the podium in the Heat Race 78% of the time)
Heat Race Wins: 4; Oakland, East Rutherford, Denver, and Salt Lake City
Heat Race Laps Led: 52; (Most Heat Race Laps Led in Class)
Main Event Podiums: 6
Main Event Win: 1; Indy
Main Event Laps Led: 33; (3rd most in class)

Averages

Qualifying: 4.882
Heat Race Finishes: 2.428; (2nd best in class)
Heat Race First Lap Position: 2.5; (2nd best in class)
Main Event Finishes: 5.705
Main Event First Lap Position: 5.689

Series Points: 304; (Tied for 3rd with Cooper Webb, Webb got 3rd in the Championship because of having more Main Event Wins on the season)

250 American Outdoors

4) Haiden Deegan

1st in Qualifying: 1; High Point
Moto Podiums: 9
Moto Wins: 3; Moto 1 at Hangtown, 1-1 at Washougal
Moto Laps Led: 49
Overall Podiums: 6; (Haiden landed on the podium 54% of the time)
Overall Wins: 2; RedBud, Washougal

Averages

Qualifying: 5.909
Moto Finishes: 7.454 in Moto 1, 5.454 in Moto 2
Overall Finishes: 5.545
Moto First Lap Position: 6.318

Series Points: 371

450 American Outdoors

4) Chase Sexton

Moto Podiums: 15; (Chase Landed on the Podium in 93% of the Motos he started, He missed 3 rounds throughout the Championship)
Overall Podiums: 7; (Sexton finished on the overall podium 87% of the time, he competed in 8 rounds of the Championship)

Averages

Qualifying: 2.25; 2nd best in class
Moto Finishes: 3rd in Moto 1(2nd best in class) , 2.125 in Moto 2 (2nd best in class)
Overall Finishes: 2.375; 2nd best in class
Moto First Lap Position: 4.375; 3rd best in class