Martin: “I had strange sensations at the rear, and I don’t know why”

His Saturday had gotten off to the best start possible with a perfect pole position. But, in the race, Jorge Martin had to contend with the overwhelming dominance of the other Aprilias, to the point that he couldn’t finish higher than fifth, behind Bezzecchi.

Nonetheless, the rider from Spain tried to make the most of the result, while also engaging in a fiery battle with Bezzecchi.

In the end, his teammate flexed his muscles and managed to win the inside duel. Now, all eyes are already on Saturday. 

“After qualifying, I was very happy,” he said . “Getting a pole after almost two years was a special feeling. I was thrilled and felt ready for the race. When the race started, I felt good in the first few corners. I thought I could fight for the win, but then I realized I didn’t have any rear grip, and, from there, I started struggling until the end. Lap after lap, the situation got worse. In the end, I tried to hold my position. In the last three laps, it was difficult to keep the Ducatis behind me, but compared to the rest of the weekend, it was still a positive feeling. I think something was off today, and I think that was the reason for the lack of performance in the race.”

How do you explain it?
“I don’t know exactly what happened, but there was no rear grip. I had no traction and started to struggle. It’s part of the process of getting to know the Aprilia. We’re changing a lot of things on the bike: sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Today we didn’t go in the right direction, so tomorrow we’ll go back and see.”

Some riders said the grip changed because of the heat. Could that be a plausible explanation?
“I don’t know. Yesterday, in the heat, I struggled a bit, but much less than today. It was cooler today, so I think there was something else going on. It’s hard to explain. We’ll see if the situation improves tomorrow.”

How was the battle with Bezzecchi? 
“At the end of the day, it’s a race. He attacked me, and I tried to defend myself and hold my position. I did the same thing with Ogura. When you have the chance to attack, or when others are attacking you, you always give it a shot. It’s part of racing. I hope we’ll be faster tomorrow and won’t have to fight so hard.”

Were you surprised to get the pole?
“Yes, absolutely. I didn’t expect to be in the running for the pole. I thought I could be in the first two rows, but not that I’d take the pole position. This weekend, I’ve been trying to work a lot on my own. When you have to test things out, it’s important to understand exactly what’s happening on the bike without any outside references. I also wanted to do the qualifying lap on my own, and I think I did a great job. Maybe sector four wasn’t perfect, but I was surprised that no one was able to beat that time. That’s why I was really happy to be back in pole.”

How did the start go without the holeshot device?
“It went well. In the first hundred meters, I was pretty competitive, but then I saw that the others were able to accelerate better and managed to overtake me. In any case, once you reach the first corner, everything feels safer because you can tell the front is still working well. In the first few meters, though, you have to manage a lot more things than in the past.”

Do you use the rear brake more in these situations?
“Let’s just say you use a bit of everything. You have to play with the clutch, close the throttle at the right moment, and use the rear brake. The rider’s skill matters much more. The problem is that we’re no longer used to doing starts this way, so we need to improve in that area again.”

What’s the goal for Sunday?
“I’d say the podium. I think it’s wide open, though. Marco still seems to be the strongest, at least based on what we’ve seen in practice. But, after this race, I think the situation is very balanced. There are probably four or five riders who could win tomorrow.”