RedBud marked another step forward for Jorge Prado, with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider racing to P2 overall in what was his strongest outing of the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship so far. In this Debrief feature, the Spaniard reflects on the weekend and the progress being made.

Image: Octopi Media.

Trending upwards

Yeah, I mean, it was a slow start to the season. The first few races had a little bit of ups and downs. We used this weekend off to work a little bit on the bike as well, just a quick test to make sure we could improve it and get it more to the feeling I’m searching for. We made some steps today as well and I think they showed. I also felt more comfortable and that’s why I could push a little bit more. I’m pretty satisfied with my riding today and with the effort from the team. We are making steps, and if we keep going in this direction, I think we can still make some good moves. So, I’m pretty happy with the race.

More to come

Yes, I think we can still make some steps, but it’s already getting better. Today was a good sign of the direction we need to work on. Like I said, it’s nice to be riding up front again, leading some laps and fighting for podium spots. It was solid. We got the starts again, which was something that was much needed for me to get some confidence to run up front. It looks like we’ve dialled the bike in a little bit better for the starts as well.

Second moto thoughts

Well, I think everything happened already two or three laps before Hunter actually passed me. We started getting a ton of lappers and I started losing a little bit of my rhythm. It was crazy. Some of them just stayed on the line and it was so hard for me to get around them. I was losing two to three seconds a lap because I couldn’t get around some of the guys. In some places I didn’t even see the blue flag, so obviously they didn’t know we were coming. I lost some momentum there, Hunter [Lawrence] was coming strong, and when he passed me I didn’t have anything for him. I would’ve attacked if I had something, but he was riding very well. It was pretty hot today and I’m not really used to riding in these conditions, so I think I need to get used to it.

Image: Octopi Media.

East Coast humidity

Well, I feel like California is never very hot. It’s more of a dry heat, whereas now it’s more like Florida. I’ve been in Florida for three weeks now, so I’m adapting to the heat and every week I feel better and better. But it’s just so humid. You’re riding and you just feel yourself sweating like crazy. I feel the goggles and I just see sweat coming down into my eyes. It’s different in Europe, we don’t have these kinds of races, so it takes a little bit for the body to adapt. But I think we all struggle when it gets hot.

Lappers in Pro Motocross

Well, I think it’s a good question. Back in MXGP we sometimes only had 20 guys on the gate, so then you barely lapped anyone, and I was still struggling. So imagine here when we have full gates. But this is part of the race. I guess I will get better the more I lap riders, so I’ll try to build maybe a bigger gap in the beginning.

Image: Octopi Media.

Early pace

No, I started the race and I was just riding to my feelings. I wasn’t really riding over the limit or pushing too much. I was just riding like I ride and I was feeling comfortable, so I just kept pushing the pace. I think in the first moto I was a little more uncomfortable and I burned a little bit of energy there, so that caused a little bit of the fade in the second one. But I was happy with my performance in the second moto.

Familiarity of leading

No. I told my dad when I came out of moto one, I said, ‘I feel like today I’m just getting back to myself.’ In that first moto I had some spots on the track where I felt like myself, then maybe the next lap I didn’t, but I could regroup in different places and feel more like myself again. We made some changes and they helped. In the second moto I felt more normal the whole time, so I was very happy with my riding. I was relaxed. It’s nice to get these laps in leading the pack because the more I lead, the more comfortable I get and the easier it is for me to ride that pace. I’m very happy with my riding today.

Southwick coming up

Yeah, well, I think Southwick is the softest or sandiest race we have here in the US. I’m usually a very good sand rider, so I’m looking forward to next weekend. I think I have a lot of experience racing in the sand, so that will help. Hopefully we keep improving and we can have a good race next weekend.