Jorge Martin is celebrating once again under the Austin sky on Saturday, triumphing in what will be remembered as one of the most dramatic sprints ever. The Spaniard, who had already shown strong signs of a comeback early this season, has finally broken free from the chains of the ordeal that, just one year ago, forced the newly crowned champion to hit a sudden roadblock in his career. Just one year later, that same Jorge Martin is back fighting and winning under the US flag at the Circuit of the Americas, battling tooth and nail until the very last lap—ironically, against none other than Pecco Bagnaia, the rider he had duelled with for the title.
A victory in the sprint race that feels like redemption, and which also puts him at the top of the standings, overtaking Bezzecchi by a single point. That Aprilia is competitive is now a well-known fact, but Martin’s physical condition—still not optimal—made this result anything but a foregone conclusion, especially for him, who had told the team to “forget about the win,” and is now happy to have proven himself wrong. Amid the jubilant celebrations, he even lost control of the bike, crashed and got back up—again. But this time with the smile of someone who feels he has truly overcome the worst.
"Physically, we worked really well last night," Martin stated, "and this morning I felt really good. Now my left hand is hurting again. The effort was enormous; I pushed on every lap until the end, and when I saw I could win, I gave 110%. But now we still have a lot of work to do ahead of tomorrow."
During the victory celebration, you lost control of the bike while doing a wheelie.
"I knew right away I was going to crash; in second and third gear, the bike didn’t lift up immediately, I didn’t have control of the front end, so when I was in fourth and it touched the ground again, I crashed. I feel bad for the team, but today they’ll be happier to get back to work."
When did you realize you could win?
"After Marco passed me, I saw that he was slowing down; that’s when I realized I was faster on average, and when he crashed, I saw that Pecco was slowing down too, so I went for it. I gave it my all."
You had to manage your energy during the race.
"I managed to keep some margin in the brakes until I really had to use them; at that moment, I gave it my all and passed Pecco. For me, it was really on the edge; the front was moving a lot, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to stop or if it would cross the line. Marco, on the other hand, was very strong at Turn 11, but then he crashed; I, however, was competitive at Turn 1 and gained a lot there. Overall, the feel and balance of the bike were better with the medium compound, which is why I chose it."
Was this victory more exciting than the podium in Brazil?
"It was incredible; we’ve gone from fifth to second... all the way to victory today. Yesterday, talking to the team, I told them to forget about the win—I just wanted to make the podium and get a good result to build confidence with the bike. But Brazil was more exciting; now we’re back in the game, we’re still in the top 5 and competitive. Austin was an important race for me because I didn’t know how the bike would react here, but we’re competitive, so I expect to be fast all season.”
If a year ago in the hospital they had told you that you’d be back winning, what would you have thought?
"I was on painkillers; if they’d told me that, I would’ve said I’d win again 100%," jokes the Spaniard. "But it’s amazing— you can’t imagine how tough last season was, being disconnected from this world, from MotoGP. I didn’t want to come back , and now I’m here. I’m happy and I thank Aprilia; they’re helping me get back to my level, so I thank them."
Compared to when you won the title, do you feel stronger today?
"I’m always trying to improve; two years have passed, so I think I’ve improved, but everyone has. The level keeps rising—it’s like that in MotoGP and in all sports. I’m working hard to get back to my best form."
Is the championship on your mind?
"No, I wasn’t even thinking about it in 2024. I take it one race at a time and day by day, and in November we’ll see if we have a chance."