Jorge Prado confirmed his status as Spain’s most successful Grand Prix rider ever with his sixth Grand Prix win of 2018 at the MXGP of Asia.
The teenager ran to second place behind charging World Champion and team-mate Pauls Jonass in the first race of 30 minutes and two laps duration but profited from a fall by the Latvian on the opening corner of the second moto.
Prado was free to escape to his eighth moto triumph and Jonass confirmed the resilient speed he had shown all weekend to fight his way back to sixth.
Jonass’ 1-6 allowed him to walk the podium for the ninth occasion this year, alongside 17-year-old Prado, who now has an impressive haul of 11 trophies.
Sensationally the pair are now tied at the top of the MX2 championship with seven rounds and 14 motos left to dispute. Jonass keeps the red plate courtesy of his superior moto win advantage – 12 to Prado’s 8.
What the MX2 World title contenders said
Prado: “I had a great weekend. The track looked really good when we arrived on Friday and I thought this would be a decent place for me, even if the dirt is not the best for my riding style. I really enjoyed it and I’m happy with the overall win and to level with Pauls [Jonass] on points; I could not wish for a better weekend.”
Jonass: “This GP was much better than the last so I cannot be too disappointed as I tried my best and just had some bad luck at the beginning of the second moto. The speed and the fitness was there as was my feeling on the track.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Europe. It has been a long week and I want to get back to a normal training programme and focus on making some more points again in the championship and to get that gap again.”
What’s next for MX2 World Championship?
The riders face a long journey home but have a free weekend to recover from jetlag. They then head to the slick hard-pack of Loket at the Grand Prix of Czech Republic on the weekend July 22.
