Third under the checkered flag but with some regrets. Generally, a podium would be a reason to smile, especially if it came after a Saturday that ended with a zero on the scoresheet due to a fall due to poor feeling with the front end.
Yet Jorge Martin did not hide a hint of disappointment with the result of today’s race at Mugello, especially for the overtaking he suffered on the last corner of the final lap from Enea Bastianini, which made him slip from second to third place. After trying to force a few laps from the end to try to get closer to the leader Francesco Bagnaia, the Spaniard suffered a tire decline, seeing Bastianini come back behind him.
A decline that Martin paid for at the end, not only allowing Bastianini to get closer, but also leaving that small window of opportunity for the Italian standard bearer to find an overtaking which remains one of the most exciting images of a very tight race.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
In fact, after losing first position in turn two, thanks to a super start by Bagnaia from fifth place, who immediately attempted the attack to get back into the lead and impose his own pace, Martin tried to keep up. There was a sort of rubber band race between the two, with the tenths continuing to vary from lap to lap, albeit with a gap that often remained contained between six tenths and one second.
At the end the Spaniard tried to push to close the gap, but the reigning world champion immediately responded, placing a lap that allowed him to extend the gap again, bringing the gap back to around a second. On the one hand, Martin says he is satisfied with the podium, but on the other, given how the race actually went, there remains a hint of disappointment because he hoped to have been able to do more.
“Before the race I would have made a big deal to get on the podium behind the factory team but, once in the race, with three laps to go I was two tenths behind Bagnaia. I saw the victory. Of course, it was very difficult, because it’s one thing to arrive, one thing to overtake, but I saw that I was close, that I was fast, that I was back compared to yesterday”, explained the Prima Pramac rider.
“But in two laps I went from that situation to third place, it hurt a bit, I was frustrated with myself for having made that mistake as a rookie, but it won’t happen again for the rest of the season.”
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The step forward compared to yesterday was evident in terms of feeling with the bike, both because with Martin he managed to find something more together with his engineers before the warm-up, and because the Spanish rider himself learned something by chasing from near Bagnaia in the points where he suffered the most.
“Today we made a good step, I think we were there with the others. Yesterday I was very behind with the setup and the front tire. Today I saw that Pecco was also suffering, today it was very tough to manage the front. But I think Bagnaia had more, at Mugello he always has more, but he had a smaller margin than last year.”
“I was much closer and this gives me motivation for the next races. I think that by changing the bike a lot we have made a step. In the next race we’ll see if we can go back to our base or we have to continue with a slightly different bike.”
Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“Driving behind Bagnaia I quickly learned the lines. I knew where I was losing, I fixed them. I saw that Bagnaia was struggling too, I saw that he made some lines that were a little longer and I told myself that maybe I could do it. I didn’t think I would stay there with him for the whole race, I thought that after six or seven laps I would lose time, but no, we improved by several seconds compared to last year. I would say that we have made a good step as a leader, I also made a step with the Ducati, I think that victories will come soon”, added Martin.
Finally, the Spaniard explained the episode at the end, that duel with Bastianini about which he also revealed a small background, namely that he was not expecting the Italian driver’s attack because at the beginning of the lap the gap was still quite large. In fact, after overtaking Marquez, Bastianini found an excellent rhythm, closing with Martin with great speed, until that maneuver at the last corner.
“I made a very open line. From the table I saw that I had an eight-tenths advantage, I didn’t think there was anyone behind. Once I got there I took the curve calmly, without thinking that there was anyone behind, but instead there was. Next time I will definitely close the curve even if I’m alone. Leaving a second position like this is not nice. But the last laps were good with that pace, I think I had the potential to win.”
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