Eighteen-year old Prado will join MXGP teammates Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings at the popular British venue this week for what will be the tenth Grand Prix at the Winchester site. The MX2 world champion in 2018 and 2019 has been riding less than three weeks since recovering from a broken left femur but feels quick and confident enough to enter the gate for the first European-based season-opener since 2012.
The Spaniard, Italian and Dutchman arguably form one of the greatest premier class line-ups in the 64 year history of the sport with a combined total of fifteen FIM world championships between them. Cairoli, winner of 89 Grands Prix, is still feeling his way back to speed after a long convalescence from the left shoulder injury that curtailed his 2019 campaign last June. Herlings, on 86 triumphs, has had a strong pre-season with unbeaten outings in the UK and France to build up his speed and remove any doubts after a disrupted 2019.
In MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have crowned eight different world champions with the KTM 250 SX-F since 2004 and have claimed twelve titles in the last sixteen years. For 2020 they rely on eighteen-year old Frenchman Tom Vialle who excelled as the Rookie of the Year in 2019 with one win and six podium appearances as well as 4th spot in the final standings. Vialle has also claimed two victories in the pre-season period. He is joined by another eighteen-year old, Rene Hofer, who graduates from the EMX250 European Championship after some impressive wild-card outings last summer.
Matterley Basin has been a positive hunting ground in the past with both Herlings and Cairoli having enjoyed views from the top of the podium. Prado has yet to triumph at the undulating English course (he finished 2nd in 2018) but Tom Vialle has happy memories of the vast circuit thanks to his maiden podium appearance almost twelve months ago.
Tony Cairoli: “As ever I’m looking forward to starting another season. I’m not in the best shape at the moment but getting better every week and I am still working on the shoulder. My expectation is to always be on the podium: we’ll aim for that and re-group over the many races this year.”
Jeffrey Herlings: “2019 was the worst year of my career and I have learnt from it. My goal this season is to be at all twenty races and to try and fight for the championship. My mentality is different. I don’t feel that I must win every race anymore. If I can get on the podium then that’s good enough and, most importantly, I get to the races after. Matterley could be challenging with the weather but it’s a great track to start the year and it’s almost a relief to be there healthy and ready.”
Jorge Prado: “I’m really happy I can be at Matterley and I made the decision to go so I could grab some points that might be important by the end of the championship. I feel like I need to be there. I have been working very hard since I had surgery in order to be able to line-up at that race. I will not take any risks. I’ve been on the bike for just two weeks so I’m not expecting anything. If you have a break of two months then only two weeks of preparation is really nothing. I felt I could ride a bit harder in the last few days and put my foot on the ground. The team is super-happy I will be there. I’m starting my MXGP career in a tough way but I hope after a few rounds I will feel better and can train more.”
