What a turnaround it’s been for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. After a high-profile switch back to orange machinery, all eyes were on the four-time world champion, and the move paid off in a major way as he completed a remarkable season by claiming the 2026 450SMX crown. In this Five Questions feature, Prado spoke to the media post-race in Ridgedale following his milestone achievement.

Image: Octopi Media.

Jorge, congratulations on the title. I want to know about the start of that second moto after having a moto one that you weren’t hoping for. Did you have extra pressure on yourself?

Yes. Moto one was a tough one. I somehow had a good jump out of the gate, but I didn’t get the drive afterwards. I got into the first corner very, very bad, in the middle of the pack, even towards the end of it. So, I made a lot of passes in the first few corners and the first lap, and I got pretty quick into that fifth spot, but I just couldn’t make any more passes. I was quite upset after moto one. I thought I could maybe lose this championship, and it would be because of me not getting that start and afterwards not being able to pass Cooper and the guys I had in front to get at least to a podium position. So, yeah, I was like, ‘Man, I put myself in a very bad position coming into moto two.’ Before moto two, my thoughts were, ‘Well, you know what? I think the only way to get this title is just winning it.’ But it’s not easy because I haven’t won any of the races. So, why would I win just the very last one? The chances are pretty low, right, if I’ve never won before. So, I made some changes. I lined up in a different position. I think that was a mistake also in moto one. I knew my start had to be perfect. I made sure I chose a good gate, I made sure I was lined up perfectly, and I made sure I could execute everything 100 percent. I had a pretty okay jump out of the gate and I really had to go deep into the corner to get that holeshot. Once I got the holeshot, it was race on. I said, ‘This is the position I’ve been waiting for.’ I was nervous because I really wanted to get that first out of the first corner. I saw Haiden directly in second and I said, ‘Well, now it’s just a face-to-face fight. Let’s do it.’ My mentality was just going for the win. I didn’t have another option in my head. I knew if I got the win, I was sure I was winning this title because of my results, not because maybe of other riders. So, I went for it and sprinted for 20 plus one. I just sprinted all the way. I couldn’t go faster than that, and that’s a reality. I was doing my 100 percent, obviously trying not to crash, but we were really on the gas this moto two.

To speak on Haiden [Deegan] just a little bit, you guys have a rivalry brewing and we know that he’s been known to come in hot when there’s lots of money on the line. How do you race forward while also keeping the rider behind you in check for 20 minutes plus a lap?

Well, if he’s not close enough, he can’t get me. So, my mentality was, ‘Okay, I just need to pull away.’ But I couldn’t. He was always super close. I was fast in some areas, but he was getting me in others. So, I couldn’t make that comfy, let’s say, three-second gap where I know he’s not going to go straight into me. We got into some lappers. He got closer, and I knew on that 180, triple, 180, there was a chance there because I was leaving a lot of space on the inside. The good thing is that normally when you leave a lot of space, it’s because you’re on the main line, and if you hit your main line good and you have a little gap, normally you’re fine. Well, with the lapper, he didn’t move. Obviously, same guy always. I wanted to go to the inside, then I moved to the outside, and pretty much Haiden, I think, opened up the corner and went straight into me. He just didn’t even turn. I mean, that’s not even a racing line, but it’s okay. I knew it could happen. That’s why mid-corner I really braked hard, and I could feel his front – he was almost getting my front wheel. I could feel it, and for some reason it wasn’t enough to make me tip over. I was, ‘Okay, now I really need to go for it.’ So, I knew in the sand I was making some time. I was making sure as well that I was hitting that sand section fast. I don’t like those games of making block passes. That’s not the type of racing I race. He likes that. Maybe in the lower categories he could play with the other kids, but not with me. When you race with that mentality, normally you end up bad. When you race clean, you have a lot of things in your favour. I’m against that type of racing. I’m not racing for the money like he is. I’m racing with passion and I’m racing because I love the sport, because I accomplished a lot of things in MXGP and I came over to the States and proved to everyone that I can get world champion here as well. So, I’m racing with passion and I think that’s what leads you to getting the number one.

Moto one, you had the MX14. Moto two, you were one of the only riders to have the new prototype. Was there a reason behind that?.

You’re pretty sneaky. I mean, something had to make the difference. If everyone is riding the same, I just go with something different and see if that helps me. Why not? We don’t follow the same path as all the rest.

Image: Octopi Media.

Right or wrong, at least public opinion in the US is you’re maybe not a charge-through-the-pack kind of guy, but in the first moto, you got a 10th or 11th-place start and had to make up five or six pretty tough positions. Is it just a confidence thing?

I think I got better at passing people. Coming into the first corner in moto one, I was probably 15th easily or worse, and for some reason I could see openings and I just tried to go everywhere where there was not a rider, just wide open to make some passes. I think I’m getting better at passing people. I think it’s confidence also. I didn’t have a lot of experience racing Supercross and tighter tracks, so racing pretty much the whole Supercross series and now SMX is allowing me to understand more where I can make passes. I think this is helping me out a lot, and I can put myself on track better to make passes happen.

When you walked in, I saw you blow out a lot of air. It looked like either relief or just the overwhelming feeling of what’s going on with winning the championship. Was it either of those two things?

I mean, there was a lot of pressure. I wanted to win, and when you want to win and you know, coming into moto two, the only option was to win the moto, then you just have something in here that is eating you. Yes, I’ve been in this position before, but man, it’s never easy going into the last moto knowing you need to win. So, it’s a relief of everything I had to go through and just happiness. Just so much happiness today. I think this is one of the most beautiful titles I could achieve. Why? Because last year was a very tough year, coming from the deep bottom and bouncing back this way. It’s very hard mentally and, like I said before and many times, you need the right people around you. I’m surrounded by the best, and that’s why we make things happen. I’m happy right now. I put in the hard work. I believe in myself. The people believe in me, too, and I’m excited for the future.