Martin continues to hope
After Mandalika’s Sprint, Jorge Martin he had completed the most important overtaking of his great season, that is, the one in the standings over Francesco Bagnaia, overtaken and trailing by 7 points. The next two races, the long GPs in Indonesia and Australia, however, once again downsized the cards, even though Martin confirmed his state of grace and his undeniable speed. In fact, on Sunday at Mandalika, the rider from Madrid crashed while he was leading his pursuers by more than two seconds, while on Saturday at Phillip Island he was the victim of a suicidal tire choice, with the Soft team first sending him away on the run at 3.5 seconds and then pushed him back in the last two laps, where he only finished in fifth place.
Martin is now 27 points away from Bagnaia with four weekends to go and seems to be more determined than ever to arrive in Valencia still fighting for the championship. Who knows how the Spaniard will receive the observations of his Italian rival, who – after complimenting him – underlined the less pressure that weighs on Martin, in possession of an official bike equal to his, but in a team in which victory is not considered an obligation. Next weekend the appointment is in Thailand, a track where the Spaniard from Prima Pramac Racing has never shone: his best placing is a 4th place in Moto3 in 2018.
Martin’s words at the press conference
“The last 2 weeks have definitely been painful. I know the speed is there and that keeps me alive. Last year I did well here, the mentality is to attack and win both races. After winning the Sprint in Indonesia it was difficult, in Australia I thought I had made the right choice but the last 4 laps were a nightmare. Let’s look ahead and see how the weekend goes.
The Soft at Phillip Island? Sometimes when you are fast on both tires it is difficult to choose, I tried. I didn’t think I was taking a big risk. I talked about it with the team, but I have to make fewer mistakes than my rivals. The ‘no risk, no story’ photo? I saw that mural, it was my photo, my mentality. It reflects my riding style, even if I don’t want to risk too much. Reading the comments on social media was funny, they had been thinking about a marriage proposal. Ducati in front? Last year he was top3 on the grid and I expect a close battle.
The relationship with Bagnaia? There’s no reason not to chat, we have a great relationship. Then on the track we try to fight, it’s natural.
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