It’s been a difficult start to life in American competition for Monster Energy Kawasaki recruit Jorge Prado, with the reigning MXGP champion yet to find his feet in 450MX, three rounds into season 2025. Given his motocross prowess, however, what should we actually expect from him outdoors?

Expectations were a hot topic entering the Pro Motocross opener at Fox Raceway, with Prado the recent heavyweight of the MXGP category, and allowing race fans a chance once more to compare the largely European series with the US variant. It’s an argument that has stood the test of time, and here is another chapter in that story.

The thing with great champions like the ultra-talented 24-year-old is that they must exhibit a certain mentality, one that is never short of self-confidence and an unwavering belief in their ability, which is a factor of what makes them so special.

Image: Octopi Media.

There is a flipside to this, however, and one that we may be seeing with Prado three rounds into the 2025 motocross season. Those expectations and belief can get you into trouble, as the humility of needing to learn a whole new series, brand new race tracks, and compete against riders who have done this for over a decade can fall by the wayside.

Don’t forget, Prado has also taken a sizable leap to jump straight into the 450MX category. Typically, riders will cut their teeth in the 250MX division for a couple of years at least, which allows them to learn in a less pressure-filled environment. The premier class is no joke, and the top 10 is comprised of former champions in the feeder division.

International riders like Marvin Musquin, Tom Vialle, Christophe Pourcel, Dylan Ferrandis, and the Lawrence brothers, to name a few, all completed multiple seasons in the 250 class, and in doing so, learned everything about the racing in a more forgiving setting.

It’s an important point, in my opinion, and one that cannot be understated. To arrive in the US and effectively be the marquee rider for Kawasaki’s program is a tough ask and, as expected, in a lot of cases, it has been tough. The sentiment was echoed by the Spaniard following Pala, who explained that he had wanted more.

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“I expected more, but realistically, it’s fair that we struggled,” commented Prado. “I’m coming off an injury, and on top of that, I’ve never raced outdoors on the Kawasaki.

“We only had four weeks on the new bike, trying to build a set-up, so, normally, it wasn’t 100 percent. But that’s the mentality of a racer – you always want to be battling up front. The second moto, I was P6, a little better than the first one. Small steps… I did my best and that’s what counts.”

Since the opener’s 7-6 moto scorecard for sixth overall, Prado finished with P9 in Hangtown and 13th at Thunder Valley, which situates him eighth in the season points standings so far. A non-finish this past Saturday also impacted his overall, but it isn’t exactly clear why he ultimately retired from the race.

Eighth place isn’t a bad spot to be, but that depends on how you look at it. If Prado had expectations of challenging the likes of Jett Lawrence, then it’s a disaster, because in moto one at Thunder Valley, Jett was nearly two minutes ahead on the race track by the time the checkered flag flew.

So again, we return to the expectations question that commenced this piece. What should we expect? Probably what we’re seeing, honestly – maybe slightly better. Chasing top fives, staying inside the top 10, and absorbing everything like a sponge is going to pay dividends in maybe one or two seasons’ time.

Image: Octopi Media.

The problem is this wasn’t executed in Supercross – Prado lost much of the series through injury – and that effectively puts you back at square one, once more. He can’t afford that. Taking your licks now to develop future success should be the goal, and not to run with the front-runners at this time, who have a boatload of US experience compared to the number 70.

His former comment in this piece acknowledged the complexity of coming to terms with the Kawasaki outdoors, which is a different machine to his customary GasGas Factory Racing MC 450F, however, post-Colorado was an insight into the circuit, and the difficulties faced on that front.

“The track conditions were pretty difficult out there,” he mentioned post-race. “The rain made it very slippery, and the ruts were super deep. It was a hard track to feel comfortable on, having never been here before.

“In moto one, the track felt super soft, so we made some changes to the bike for moto two, but I ended up hitting a hole in a deep rut that threw me off and ended my moto. We continue to make improvements during the week, and we will learn from this race and look for more progress next weekend.”

Measured, tempered progress is good. Unbridled progress is bad. And what should we expect from Jorge Prado in 450MX? That’d likely depend on who you ask, but for me, a year of learning the circuits, the motorcycle, and the American style of racing certainly wouldn’t go astray in your future endeavours.