Jorge Martin returns to Montmeló, where two years ago he donned the world champion’s golden helmet. Since then, the Spaniard has embarked on a grueling descent from the pinnacle of success into the depths of adversity, from which he has emerged stronger and renewed—a journey that culminated in last weekend’s victory at Le Mans. Today’s Jorge Martin is a different man than he was in the past. Not in talent, but in awareness. “I’ve matured; we all do,” comments the #89 to reporters, as if the long injury were already a bad and distant memory of the past.
The present is smiling on him again, just like his Aprilia, with which he seems to have rediscovered the harmony he was missing. Parallels with 2024 are already emerging, while the next challenge looms on the horizon—one Martin will face on home turf: once again against the same bike, now no longer Bagnaia’s Ducati but Bezzecchi’s Aprilia. A duel in all-black that currently sees the two riders separated by just one point in the standings—a mere fraction that risks, however, upsetting the balance of a team with an inevitable internal rivalry. The Spaniard reassures: “No strategy at Aprilia; Bezzecchi and I aren’t enemies—we respect each other,” but there’s still a championship at stake with Ducati lagging behind, Marquez absent, and a redemption that would be priceless for the Spaniard.
“Le Mans was incredible,” Martin begins. “Finishing first, second, and third was unreal; I’m very happy for Aprilia. We’ll see this weekend—my confidence keeps improving, and I’m getting to know the bike better and better. During testing at Jerez, I made progress with some components. This track might be more complicated, but I like the circuit. Alex won here last year, and the KTM can do well. We also have to learn to suffer, after all, so let’s see if we can get a good result.”
At Le Mans you celebrated by dancing like Michael Jackson—could that become your trademark, like the broken fairing?
“I don’t think so. Right now Michael is everywhere, but I’d definitely need better shoes!” jokes the Spaniard.
It’s your first time back in Barcelona since winning the title. How different do you feel as a rider?
"I think whether you win or lose, it’s pretty much the same. You cry in both situations, and then you work to improve. I have some good memories here but also some bad ones—I broke my foot here. It’s a tricky track, where having a good setup that gives you good grip helps a lot. I think the biggest difference is that now I’m enjoying the moment. Before the injury, it was different; in our lives, everything moves really fast. It’s in the tough moments that you realize how important health, feeling good, and riding well are. Now I’m feeling good and have great confidence, and I’m grateful for that."
In the past, this was an Aprilia track; the first one-two finish was by Aleix and Viñales. What has changed?
"The bike changed a lot last year; we looked for things that the Aprilia didn’t have and we got them, but in doing so we lost other things. The Aprilia makes very good use of the front end; when I tested it here, it was incredible what the front end allowed you to do. We didn’t have much grip or stability, but in the end we got them— paying the price for it. We know the balance of this bike and we can do well."
How has your riding style changed since the injury?
"The mental aspect has definitely changed a lot in terms of how I approach the weekend. I’ve worked hard and matured—we all do. On a professional, personal, and spiritual level, I’ve tried to take a step forward, and that’s who I am today. In terms of riding, I had trouble with braking last year, but the feel is very similar to the past. I feel like I’m riding the same way, even though the lines are different on the Aprilia. I’ve adapted, and now we need to keep improving.”
Ducati and Aprilia are the most competitive bikes—have you noticed anything you’d like to see on your bike?
"I don’t know how much the Ducati has been developed in recent years. I know what I’m riding; the Aprilia is a fantastic bike. The Ducati won at Jerez, and Marc took pole at Le Mans. Both bikes are truly competitive."
Do you think Aprilia will have strategies for the battle between you and Bezzecchi?
"I haven’t heard anything like that at Aprilia. Marco and I have a great relationship; it’s clear we’re not friends, but we’re not enemies either. We’re teammates, and we’ll try to help each other beat the other manufacturers. I think we respect each other a lot. The way the two teams work together could change, and that could cause us to lose more than we gain in terms of a position, so it doesn’t make sense not to respect each other."
Marc is now 70 points behind in the standings. Will his absence affect the balance of the championship?
"If there’s anyone who has proven that you can go from rock bottom to the top, it’s Marc. We can’t ignore that; I hope he comes back soon."
Marc’s struggles make you think about a rider’s ability to endure pain—what do you think?
"I think it’s a matter of perspective. From my point of view, I handle pain well, but pain is the same for everyone. I think that when we’re riding, with all that adrenaline, you don’t feel it, but you feel it all when you’re not on the bike. It also depends on the injury, though."
You have a unique riding position on the tank.
"When I first got on the Aprilia, I got very tired; when I returned to Qatar, after two laps I couldn’t ride anymore, so we worked a lot on the position. I think we did a great job in Jerez by changing the levers, and Aprilia did an excellent job developing the components. I think this is the final product, and it works really well."
Are you ready to put on a show with your shoulder on the ground at Turn 5?
"It looks like it’ll be colder tomorrow, so maybe it won’t be the time to go crazy, but I think putting my shoulder down is easy for me now."