The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship represents a significant chapter in Jorge Prado’s professional career, with the multi-time MXGP title-winner entering his second full season of competition in the United States. Equipped with a new team and environment, the 24-year-old is intent on making this year count.

It’s no secret that last year was an immense challenge, with a return to familiar surroundings at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing emerging as a timely reset for his American campaign across both Supercross and Pro Motocross. Comfort can be critical at the highest level, and a move back to the Austrian brand seems to have aided his development.

One of the bigger takeaways from 2025, however, was his limited time in Monster Energy Supercross, with a shoulder injury sustained at Anaheim 2 ruling him out for the remainder of the indoor season.

With that in mind, 2026 signals another building year for the Spaniard, who has noted that he has logged a significant amount of time in the discipline leading into this weekend’s opener at Anaheim 1 – something he lacked last year.

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“Last year was crazy – I arrived at A1 with only, like, 12 days of riding Supercross, and on a new bike, so that was very, very tough,” commented Prado during the SMX Media Days in Anaheim. “This year has been the opposite, coming back to a bike that I already know and then with a great set-up since the beginning.

“I’ve also been putting in a lot of laps… a lot of laps on Supercross at the test tracks, and my training has been very consistent, so luckily, no issues during my training.”

Much of the value in the return comes from familiarity with the KTM equipment, with Prado noting there was a degree of plug-and-play when it came to establishing a baseline setting for the upcoming season onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. While not identical, key reference points remain from his time with the group in Europe.

Optically, that appeared to be a major drawcard in his return to the program, rather than developing an entirely new motorcycle for his US endeavor in a discipline where he has limited experience. Maximizing that comfort has been a key focus of Prado’s off-season to date.

“The platform is something that I am a lot more used to – especially outdoors – we already had a bike set-up… I already have a base to start from, and then improve from there. The base is already good – now I don’t need to worry about not feeling comfortable on the bike, I can just work on improving myself.

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“The frame [of the new bike] is different from the one I raced Supercross with in ’24, although luckily enough, the frame we have now is more similar to what I rode with in the GPs. So, we went outdoor testing for one day, and we put my MXGP suspension set-up in the bike, and it was clicking right away.

“All of this changes my mindset entering the next year – I’m a bit more relaxed, and can focus on myself as a rider rather than being so focused on the technical side. Overall, though, I’ve known these guys since I was 11 years old, so it felt like coming back home.”

With increased preparation time on the bike, coupled with a program that appears to suit the decorated rider, all signs are pointing in the right direction for the number 26 as the Supercross season-opener in Anaheim looms this weekend.

A patchy indoor record – punctuated by an emphatic heat race victory in the mud of San Francisco with GASGAS in 2024 – leaves the question of where his mindset sits entering this year, and what the game-plan is across the 31 SMX races that make up the 2026 season.

“My goal is to just make it through Supercross,” he admitted. “I still haven’t raced on any east coast tracks, so I am really looking forward to that, where the dirt is a little softer. I think that style can be a little better for me.

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“But the goal is to make the whole season – I don’t have a lot of stress on the results, I don’t even know what my level is or what to expect, honestly. I don’t know what my level can be. Eventually, I want to be a Supercross and Pro Motocross champion, and that is my ultimate goal.

“Maybe it takes one year, maybe two or three, but that is my goal, and I’m not moving until I get it.”

What could be viewed as an ambitious objective, it’s worth noting that Prado is both a proven race and championship winner, a status he has maintained throughout much of his professional career.

A rider of his calibre doesn’t arrive at the gate to make up the numbers, with this return to the orange camp potentially representing a pivotal first step toward re-establishing himself at the front.