Martin on battle with Marquez: “Good to solve our problems on the track”

Martin hit out at Marquez after the six-time MotoGP champion ruined his and Miguel Oliveira’s race at the season-opener, and while the two are far from being friends, respect was shown on several occasions during their battle in Le Mans.

After swapping positions several times, Martin eventually got the better of Marquez before the Honda rider slid out of third when trying to respond immediately at turn seven.

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Prior to fighting Marquez, Martin had to recover from tenth place, which he did brilliantly before claiming his second podium of the weekend.

"When I arrived to the group I had a really big battle with Marc," said Martin. "I really enjoyed it because we had some moments in Portimao, so it was good to solve our problems on the track. 

"He was fast, he was aggressive but we were both giving each other space. Finally, I could make my move at a place where he was struggling a bit. 

"Then he made a mistake. I’m happy about my first podium of the season. For sure, I have been in the sprint but finally a Sunday podium is good."

When discussing his battle with Marquez in further detail, the Pramac Ducati rider said he was congratulated by the Honda rider post-race.

However, what their lengthy fight did do was allow Marco Bezzecchi to escape shortly after mid-race distance, even though the Ducati rider was faster and would have been tough to catch even if Martin passed Marquez much sooner.

Martin said: "After the race we met in the TV compound and he congratulated me for the battle. I think he is one of toughest guys to battle with. 

"Yesterday, I was studying his race with Pecco to try and understand how to pass him. 

"I think I lost a lot of time, it was nice I enjoyed it, but I lost a lot of time and my opportunities to go with Marco because I felt that my pace was much faster. 

"But I need to improve the overtaking and when I am riding with other riders. I think today, with him, I learned a lot."