Seems to be a lot of negative vibes around four-time world motocross champion, Jorge Prado of late with the Red Bull KTM factory rider getting fined last weekend for an aggressive action against three time AMA supercross champion, Cooper Webb, after finishing third on the podium.

Prado was fined after he “violated the code of conduct by using an obscene hand gesture during the competition.” The Spaniard gave a gesture to Webb as they crossed the finish line, then made a hand movement, that looked like he was pulling back to throw a punch at Webb.

The AMA then came out with the official news on the move by Prado: Race Direction reviewed an incident involving Rider #26 (Prado) and Rider #1 (Webb) in section 8 after the finish line. After review, it was determined that Rider #26 (Prado) violated the code of conduct by using an obscene hand gesture during the competition. Rider #26 (Prado) was assessed one rider license point and a fine.

On the incident, Prado didn't hold back on his opinion of the incident and he wasn't happy with Webb. Lets all not forget, Cooper Webb doesn't mind taking riders out on occasion, so maybe Prado has a point?

“I’m always the guy that’s taking out, I never take him out. So, he is going pretty aggressive with me, but like I said the other weekend, if he has a 20 minutes plus a lap to pass me and he decides always to go aggressive. If he was faster, he would have passed me before, like all of the other riders. I just focus on myself and hopefully next year I’m a bit better, so I don’t need to be fighting with him and being up front.”

Now, for starters, Prado is without question, one of the most talented riders in the sport, and his world titles say enough. His performances in his two MXGP titles showed that he was the fastest man in Europe for two years and his MX2 titles back up those 450 stats.

In AMA supercross, Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence, Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb have been outspoken in his dangerous moves and nobody in MXGP is too surprised by their comments.

When Prado left Europe a couple of years ago, he WAS the man to beat, and that says something when you consider, two legends in Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser couldn’t match his pace. His victories were often solid and very clean.

However, the Spaniard has come under fire from a bunch of riders in AMA supercross and Antonio Cairoli, Romain Febvre, Jeffrey Herlings and many others in MXGP have had difficulties with him. Is it time for Prado to actually look at these comments and try and correct his racing attitude, or, does he have the right to race how he feels?

See below the time Prado crossed jumped Herlings in Germany a few years ago, a crash that could have been a lot worse than it was and was 100% Prado's fault, despite the Spaniard giving a soft comment that he wasn't at fault.

Following the dramatic mid-air collision after the checkered flag in the first moto of the 2021 MXGP of Germany, Jeffrey Herlings was highly critical of Jorge Prado’s maneuver. The incident, occurring at the finish line, saw Prado drift into Herlings, resulting in a severe crash where Prado injured his armpit, requiring surgery and causing him to miss the second moto.

Jeffrey Herlings: Yeah, we all know he’s (Prado) not the most easy rider to pass and defends his line. There’s nothing wrong with that… but cross jumping, hmm, I don’t know if that’s the most safe thing to do. I was already over the jump and he came from left to right and then we both went down.

Known for cross jumping, block passing and at times dangerous moves, it is clear, Jorge is fighting for his place on the track and maybe we should respect his determination, but motocross or supercross is a dangerous sport, and riders safety is the most important aspect.

Hunter Lawrence had similar opinions of Prado and his knack of block passing riders: I mean, he pulled aside for Eli and then he tried to — not brake check me — but slow me down there. If he’s just coming back to get in the way then I’m gonna give him some body English, you know? Maybe Jett will come back and do the same.

AI came up with this analysis of his style of defending his place on the track

Prado is generally considered a highly skilled, intelligent rider who is tough to pass rather than "dirty," though his aggressive defensive lines and tendency to cross-jump under pressure have drawn criticism and labels of being dangerous from competitors. Critics note he often uses the full track and fails to check for other riders, which can cause dangerous situations.

Defensive Style: Experts like Ryan Villopoto and Ricky Carmichael have stated there is no "dirty" intent, but rather that Prado is intelligent and difficult to pass, refusing to yield positions easily."

Dangerous" vs. "Dirty": Some observers suggest his issues stem from inexperience in Supercross traffic, leading to accidental cross-jumping, rather than intentional "dirty" riding, though this distinction provides little comfort to those he nearly causes to crash.

Controversy: Incidents, such as a collision with Cooper Webb, have sparked debate, but they are often viewed as racing incidents by professionals.

Traffic Management: He has been criticized for not keeping his line and cutting off other riders, which has drawn complaints from fellow riders in the MXGP and Supercross circuits.

In summary, he is seen as an incredibly fast and aggressive competitor who is difficult to pass, which can lead to tense moments, but he is not widely deemed to be maliciously breaking rules.

What we all are looking forward to, is his performances outdoors this year, because the four time world champion, will without question be up front, and back on the KTM outdoors, he might end up putting egg on all the faces of those who question him.