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MotoGP, Jorge Martin: "Animals are an unknown factor, they could disrupt the race."

"It will be important to be in the top positions right away. Pecco worked on the weight of the bike? He has more sensitivity on these things, I rely more on the sensations on the track and give my best. The crash? maybe the brakes were still too cold." Morbidelli: "the most difficult Friday of the entire season to deal with"

MotoGP: Jorge Martin:

The first rodeo at the Phillip Island circuit proved more complicated than expected for Jorge Martin. With only one session available, the Spaniard had to deal with a crash at the beginning of the session, uncertain weather that put even more pressure on the riders, yellow and red flags and even local wildlife eager to show their passion for the new Australian asphalt. Through it all, the championship leader still managed to come out on top by closing the first day of free practice with the 4th fastest time, two tenths off Marc Marquez's benchmark and securing himself access to Q2 which is crucial in these final stages of the championship.

In fact, all eyes are on the battle between Martin and Bagnaia, ten points separating them from each other in the standings, four weekends still to go before celebrating the 2024 World Champion. Making mistakes is no longer allowed and Martin knows it well, but while Bagnaia sorts things out by working on details, the Spaniard's approach seems to be more instinctive and devoted to sensations on the track.

"Today it was a bit scary going down the track, I saw that a storm was coming - Jorge Martin began - so when I crashed the only feeling was of anger. On top of that I couldn't go out with the second bike so I had to reuse the first one after fixing it, finally the red flag also came. Overall it was not an easy day, but after the first few laps the feeling on the track was great right from the start and I was able to quickly put myself in the lead which eased the pressure on me a little bit. We had to work a lot on the setup of the bike and had to make some changes from last year, there are fewer bumps but they are still challenging, overall though we did a good job."

Was your crash at the beginning of the session caused by the track conditions?
"It was strange, I was going pretty slow, and maybe the brakes weren't warm yet. I saw that the other Ducatis were already braking a lot and I wanted to do the same, but I couldn't avoid the crash. It was a pity because we lost valuable time and the other bike was prepared with the rain setup."

You also had a close encounter with the local wildlife.
"Yes here in Phillip Island there are a lot of animals, that's an important factor to consider, they could stop the race at any time so it will be crucial to be in the positions that count right away."

Pecco noted that he had to make changes to the GP24's weight balance from last year. Have you encountered the same problem?
"I think Pecco has much more sensitivity about these details, for me it's different I just think about giving my best. At the beginning I had some problems with feeling but with a small modification everything went right."

Morbidelli: The most complicated free practice session of the year.

Difficult free practice day also for Franco Morbidelli, who managed to sort things out on his GP24 only at the end of the session, closing with the 9th time, a demonstration of how much the various unknowns, from the asphalt to the tires to the weather, affected the riders' performance today on the Australian circuit.
"It was a particular day, first the skipped session in the morning, then the unknown factor of the rain in the afternoon - Morbidelli began - everyone pushed hard from the beginning trying to make the fast lap. For us it was a positive day, on the last lap we managed to get a good fast lap to enter Q2, which is the main worry of Friday."

Difficult weather added to the unknowns given by the tires and the new asphalt.
"It was one of the most complicated sessions of the year, difficult conditions, only one session available for Q2, but the goal was achieved. Now I will try to improve again ahead of qualifying."

 

Translated by Julian Thomas

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