Jorge Martin hasn’t won a Sunday race since Le Mans, yet he showed up in Mandalika as championship leader with a 24-point advantage over Pecco Bagnaia. On Friday of the Indonesian Grand Prix, the Pramac team rider confirmed his excellent form by scoring a third position in the morning session and a stratospheric second time (below the track record) in the afternoon practice.
The Spaniard bowed to an enlightened Enea Bastianini, who in the Friday afternoon session improved Martin’s record by 40 thousandths, taking the lead. Although the championship leader enters Saturday qualifying with the second fastest time, he is satisfied with the day, in which he was able to try different tire solutions and also felt at ease astride the GP24.
“I’m happy for myself, with how the day went,” he explained Martinator. “It’s clear that my rivals are strong and the Ducatis are equally strong. But as for me, I’m happy because I had a great day, I felt comfortable and I didn’t have to touch anything in both sessions. This is significant and also in terms of pace it went very well. I also tried all the tire combinations, except the front medium which I don’t think is an option.”
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo credit: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
During Friday’s free practice there were two gestures from Martin that caught attention: a caress and a fist bump. The Spaniard explains why: “Everything was going too well, but then I had a problem with the start, I felt frustrated at that moment. I had a first gear that was too short for this track and it has too much power. For a track that has this dirt you need to try to reduce this power. But I prefer to remember the caresses I gave the bike today (laughs, ed)”.
Although the first day in Mandalika went according to expectations and confirmed that he will be one of the favourites, Jorge Martin must be careful of his particularly fierce opponents. In fact, in the first four positions we find the GP24s, which made the difference over all the others. It was Pecco Bagnaia who struggled a little more, author of a brilliant move only towards the end which guaranteed him fourth place.
The Pramac standard bearer, however, does not want to underestimate the reigning world champion and believes that he will still be in the game: “It’s clear that when things don’t come out easily, doubts arise. But then he solved it well, like the champion he is. You always have to consider him in the fight for the race, but obviously he will have doubts until Sunday, having not felt too comfortable today. Bastianini? He goes very fast and is another strong rival. It’s in very good shape, but there’s nothing new here.”
If his rivals are known, Martin aims to work on himself in order to improve on a track where last year his world championship dream began to fade. Today he returns as world championship leader and… Without advice from Marc Marquez, who yesterday didn’t want to give any, considering him a rival also with a view to the future. There was certainly no lack of response from the Madrilenian: “I have to look at myself. Everyone tries to give their all and has to go to the limit. We all have to do it, it’s a very difficult competition. But I’m always there, I’m always fighting and it’s something I can control.”
“Marc doesn’t give me advice? It’s very difficult to give advice to someone who is in over their head. Obviously you can learn them, but maybe Marc didn’t want to teach them to me! But in the end I do my thing and try to be the best every day. The consequence of this is to stay where I am. So I have to continue like this,” he concludes.
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