In the MotoGP race in India last September, Francesco Bagnaia made a mistake and suffered a crash when he was in second place ahead of Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati). This allowed the Spanish rider to significantly close the gap to the championship lead held by the Ducati man. His crew chief, Cristian Gabarrini, believes it was a crucial incident.

The engineer told La Gazzetta dello Sport that if Bagnaia hadn’t crashed in India, the current situation would be much more encouraging for the reigning champion and not as much for Martín: ‘The crash in India weighed heavily on us; Pecco had caught him, overtaken him, and left him behind, and the other had exploded. Without the crash, we would be talking about something else; there would still be a significant advantage, and Martín would have a lower crest. This is the reality’.

Gabarrini clarified that he likes Martín’s attitude: ‘I like Martín, the way he is, always combative, aggressive, and positive. But it’s natural for him to push things in his favor and try to put pressure on Pecco’.

O conteúdo ‘Without Francesco Bagnaia’s crash in India, Jorge Martín would have a lower crest’ – Cristian Gabarrini aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

When everything seemed to indicate that Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) could win the MotoGP Australian GP, it was his teammate Johann Zarco who secured the victory. In the battle, there was also Francesco Bagnaia, competing with a medium rear tire instead of the soft one that the Spanish rider unsuccessfully risked. Even so, he achieved the best result among those who made that choice.

In the Italian’s view, Martín was the only rider who stuck with the soft tire since the practice sessions, but he emphasized that race performance is different: ‘I think he was the only one with the possibility to race with the soft because yesterday he did many laps and he was quite fast. I think the maximum amount were 19 with stop and start. During all the race it’s always a different story and when I saw that the gap he took at the start wasn’t good enough to remain with a bit of margin in the last laps I was considering it’.

Focused on proper tire management, Bagnaia believes he adopted the right strategy and attributed merit to Zarco’s victory: ‘In a moment, during the race, I was just trying to be very careful with the rear tyre because I knew that was the correct choice and I knew that as I soon as Brad [Binder] and Fabio [Di Giannantonio] started to fight we would catch them easier, without pushing. So I think this was the correct choice, the correct strategy, and I just missed a bit to be close to Johann [Zarco] in the last lap. But he was in a better situation with the traction, he was working very well with the rear tyre, so he was deserving the victory more than me’.

O conteúdo ‘Jorge Martín was the only one with the possibility to race with the soft tyre’ – Francesco Bagnaia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martín has been one of the stars of this world championship and has even, albeit briefly, been in the lead. The rider spoke about his current condition and how this could be one of his best seasons.

The Pramac rider, who was once again under the spotlight during the main race of the Australian GP, spoke to DAZN about the lessons he learnt: ‘Here I learnt that when you’re fighting for a World Championship, which in the end is my first time in MotoGP, you have to ride with the weapons that your rivals have, especially if you’re stronger than them on this track, above all. And then in Indonesia, when the track is dirty, you don’t go out. Going to the black line, the black line without going out is, I think, what I’ve learnt’.

Although he was deprived of a chance to return to winning ways due to the cancellation of the Sprint race, Martín added that there are still many races ahead: ‘This year it will be or it won’t be, I’ll try my best, but at the end of the day these are lessons for the future. There’s a long way to go, but I’m going to try with everything I’ve got. Thailand is very good for me, and Malaysia, Qatar and Valencia, all four are very good, so I hope to make it’.

O conteúdo Martín doesn’t give up on the title: ‘There are four rounds to go, and they’re all very good, so I hope to make it’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After being on the lead for all race, losing such position and even ending outside of the top three in yesterday’s main race, Jorge Martín was naturally frustrated and didn’t hide such. The rider recalled his mistake in the tyre choice.

‘The truth is that it wasn’t a cold shower like Indonesia, but I’m a bit frustrated, because I was the fastest all weekend and to throw the race away like that… in the end we got points, it could have been worse. Now there are some very good tracks for me, I hope not to make the tyre mistake again and to be very concentrated because it is important to arrive with options to Valencia’, the rider told DAZN.

Still, Martín believes that in the end it wouldn’t be that different but admitted the mistake: ‘It wouldn’t have changed anything because I wouldn’t have had that margin and in the end it would have been the same. It was obviously a clear mistake. Maybe the strategy wasn’t right and the tyre wasn’t right, because maybe with the other tyre if I had pulled like that I would have passed too. So, as we don’t know, nobody will ever know that. Let’s hope for next year here in Australia we have the magic wand’.

O conteúdo Jorge Martín didn’t hide his frustration: ‘I was the fastest all weekend and to throw the race away like that… It was a clear mistake’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After yesterday’s nightmare, Jorge Martín believed he would have a chance to recover some points in the Sprint race today, but it was cancelled, a decision he respects, although he did believe he could ‘recover some points’.

At Phillip Island, the spaniard, who yesterday dramatically lost the chance of winning the main race on the last lap, admitted that he even believed the race would happen: ‘I think they made the right decision to cancel the race. If the conditions were dangerous, they were dangerous for everyone. In the morning, the Warm Up went well and the conditions were good, in fact, I thought I was going to race. But then the weather changed and we have to respect the decision’.

Then, speaking to DAZN, Martín added: ‘It was incredibly windy, we’ve seen a lot of accidents in Moto2. In the end, it was the Race Direction’s decision and we have to respect it. Anyway, I was quite comfortable in the water and I saw a good opportunity to maybe recover a few points. So nothing, let’s think about the next race’.

O conteúdo ‘I thought there was going to be a race; I saw today as a good opportunity to maybe recover some points’ – Jorge Martín aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martín had a dominant performance leading for much of the Australian MotoGP. However, on the final lap, he couldn’t withstand the approach of his competitors.

The Prima Pramac Spanish rider was in first place, but within that last lap, he dropped to fifth place, losing four positions, including to his title rival, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).

In the following video, you can see the moments that led Martín to descend from first to fifth.

O conteúdo Video: “Cold Shower” for Jorge Martín, from the lead to fifth place on the final lap aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martin led from the first to the last lap, but it was exactly there, on the last lap, that the 2nd place in the championship gave up the lead of the race to his teammate Johann Zarco.

Being the only one in the front group on the soft rear tyre, it was clear that Jorge Martin was struggling to manage the compound chosen for the rear wheel. In a debrief, Jorge Martin was resigned to the result of the race, assuming that it was 100% his choice to put a different compound from the others at the rear:

– Yes, so close. Of course, now it’s very easy to understand which would be the best choice, but it was my choice 100% to go with the soft tyre (at the rear) I tried it and it didn’t work, but I’m happy with my performance. I think I rode very smooth, very good. I tried to be quite gentle with the tyres, but in the end it didn’t work. It’s a learning experience for the future. (…) I think with seven laps to go was the moment I saw I was in trouble, because they were catching me about 4 tenths a lap, but I was pushing hard, but I couldn’t accelerate properly. I was able to brake and have some cornering speed, but I couldn’t have power and rear grip. I just tried to finish as best I could and that was 5th position.

The #89 also stated that he lost hope of defending the lead, right at turn 2 on the last lap, when he realized that his opponents were already extremely close, also stating that he was happy with Zarco’s victory, and that the championship remains open:

– They recovered 0.4s on the penultimate lap, so I had half a second, so I thought maybe I would make it, but as soon as I came out of Turn 2, I saw that they were very close. I tried to close at Turn 4, but Zarco was focused and ready for the win, and I want to congratulate him. And then I tried not to crash and to finish in 5th position was the most I could do. (…) Certainly he deserved the win and I’m very happy for the team and for him. Now I think we’re very close in the team championship, I think. So it’s a good point, but I wanted another one. It’s still up to me, so I have to be smart and not make these mistakes.

O conteúdo ‘With seven laps to go was the moment I saw I was in trouble’ – Jorge Martin aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

What a thrill, what suspense until the last second at Phillip Island with Johann Zarco finally winning in MotoGP! Since 2017 in the category, Zarco had a race in crescendo and in the end gave no margin to anyone to get to the front of the race on the last lap where he won. Jorge Martín looked like he was in a horror film after leading until literally the last lap where he didn’t even finish on the podium!

Everything is in place for the start of MotoGP’s main race, given the changes to the calendar announced on Friday. 18ºC at Phillip Island, last-minute tyre changes, and plenty of excitement for sure in the race.

Martín had the best start and stayed in front, but the highlight was the home rider, Jack Miller, who gained four positions in no time! On the following lap, however, the Australian began to lose positions and dropped to sixth, while Fabio Di Giannantonio made his way down… climbing to fourth after beating Francesco Bagnaia.

In just three laps Martín gained more than 1s on second, Brad Binder, but the question was: how would the #89’s soft rear tyre hold up?

Marc Márquez, meanwhile, overtook Miller and climbed to sixth position, and it wasn’t long before he was in the top five, beating Johann Zarco. The Frenchman responded shortly afterwards and retook fifth place, which worked in Bagnaia’s favour.

The fight was such that Márquez overtook again, but Zarco returned the manoeuvre. 0.487s separated the #5 from the #1. Martín led by 1.668s over Binder, who was slightly faster than the Prima Pramac Racing rider for the moment.

Meanwhile, Pramac sent a message, literally, to Martín: “Breathe”, reminiscent of what happened last week when the rider crashed while 3s ahead of second. However… Martín didn’t slow down and continued to set a frantic pace and after nine laps he was already 2.391s ahead of Binder.

Joan Mir crashed at turn 4 after battling with Luca Marini on lap 10. The Spaniard nevertheless picked up his motorbike and returned to the race, but… only for a short time. The Repsol Honda rider abandoned shortly afterwards.

That was the top ten with 13 laps completed:

The next to “taste” the asphalt was Augusto Fernández who, with 12 laps to go, ended his race after crashing.

Martín was still very strong in the lead and 3.461s ahead of Binder, with Di Giannantonio 3.625s behind the #89. Bagnaia was 1.032s behind the fourth-placed rider and Zarco remained fifth.

At any moment it was expected that DiGia would overtake Binder, 0.045s away but with the gap constantly changing. Both riders had the same tyre selection. With nine laps to go, the overtake was confirmed and DiGia, still without a place on the grid for 2024, was second!

The race was entering a decisive phase and already inside the last straight and Martín was a figurehead as he led with a gap of 3.125s over DiGia. However, out of nowhere, Martín saw the #49 gain 0.4s on him and anything could still happen.

Bagnaia’s life was complicated as he was overtaken by Zarco and dropped to fifth place.

This was the top ten: Martín, DiGia, Binder, Zarco, Bagnaia, Álex Márquez, Aleix Espargaró, Jack Miller, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Márquez.

Binder still had something up his sleeve and moved into second place. 0.8s separated fifth from second.

With three laps to go Martín was losing considerable time and “only” 1.649s separated Binder from the lead, at a time when Zarco was moving up to third!

With two laps to go, Zarco saw the light at the end of the tunnel and climbed to second place, with Martín 0.955s behind. Bagnaia, meanwhile, was also giving it his all and was third.

On the last lap Martín had… 0.4s on Zarco and the Frenchman, with his pace… moved into the lead! And not only that! Bagnaia also passed the Spaniard and was soon in third.

Martín lost positions again and in one lap he went from first to fifth, with Brad Binder also overtaking him!

And victory! Finally Johann Zarco could win in MotoGP seven years after joining the category! Di Giannantonio finished on the podium.

O conteúdo Seven years later, here it is: Johann Zarco makes his MotoGP winning debut! Martín went from heaven to hell; Di Giannantonio on the podium aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Another race and another pole position for Jorge Martín. The Prima Pramac Racing rider continues to be at the top of his game and today at Phillip Island he secured first place on the grid, and with a record lap.

‘It was certainly a good lap and I hope we can make a difference today in the race. It’s going to be a long race and we don’t have a lot of information and it’s going to be difficult to understand both the front and rear tyres, but we’ll give it a try’, Martín said in parc ferme.

Watch the moment Martín managed to break the track record:

O conteúdo ‘It was a good lap and I hope we can make a difference today in the race’ – Jorge Martín aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martín is unstoppable! The Spaniard showed that the crash he suffered last week hasn’t shaken his confidence and today at Phillip Island he confirmed another pole position, and with a record-breaking lap.

Martín started Q2 with a «message» for everyone else: on his second lap and his first in attack mode, the Spaniard set the fastest time of the weekend so far. The Spaniard entered Q2 with a time of 1:27.869s.

And… Martín didn’t stop there and improved his time once again, shaving 0.023s off his time to pull away from Brad Binder, second, who was 0.236s behind. Francesco Bagnaia was third at 0.425s.

With eight minutes to go, the riders headed to their teams’ garage and were ready for the final attacks. The clock was just over four minutes when most of the riders returned to the track.

Bagnaia was trying to get round Marc Márquez, but he was trailing behind the Italian and every tactic was being used to try and get the best place on the starting grid.

And with the first laps on the attack after the comeback Martín, who else, made history again and improved his own record: 1:27.246s. The #89 was the fastest ever (so far) in Australia!

Binder, very fast, was second at… 0.416s. Bagnaia was third and Aleix Espargaró fourth, with Johann Zarco fifth and Fabio Di Giannantonio sixth.

O conteúdo Jorge ‘Record Breaker’ Martín continues to make history at Phillip Island and takes MotoGP pole position aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.