Martin: I had black leathers ready for factory switch at the Valencia test…
That team switch, in place of Enea Bastianini, was apparently on the cards if the Pramac rider snatched the world championship away from Francesco Bagnaia at Valencia.
“In Valencia, I had two black [leather suits] ready in case I had to do the test in a different box,” Martin is quoted as saying by AS.
But the Spaniard, who ultimately lost out on the title to Bagnaia by 39 points after tangling with Marc Marquez in the season finale, doesn’t appear to agree with the logic of linking the factory move with winning the 2023 title, feeling he had already done enough.
“I wanted to join the official team and I pressured my manager to have the option, but I think it doesn't change anything whether I won the World Championship or not. If Pecco crashed in Valencia and I won the race [and title]? What sense does that have?”
Martin alleged that Bastianini’s only victory of an injury-interrupted year, at Sepang, came while using what would be an extremely low tyre pressure of 1.2 bar rather than the 1.88 bar specified for at least 50% of the race distance.
As a first offence, the Italian was given an official warning. Martin had already used up his low pressure warning, in Thailand.
“I am bothered by the fact that [what I do] is never enough,” said Martin, who lost out to Bastianini for the factory ride a year ago. “I don't know what more I have to do.
"I understand that Enea has had a bad year [with injuries], but he rode in 14 or 15 races and won one of them because his front tyre pressure was set to 1.2. That way I would win too.
“But hey, the difference between being on the official team compared to the satellite team is that there are more personnel. I prefer the atmosphere of my team, because it is a group and more familiar, so I would try to change that, because they are too serious, but working seriously when it has to be done, of course.
“The difference is that they [the factory team] have more people, but at the level of [the machinery spec] I think there is no difference.”
But Martin made clear: “My one hundred per cent priority for 2025 is an official team. My goal is the official Ducati team, because it is the factory I am with, I know the bike and I have a lot of projection in this factory.
"But if they don't want me or understand that I am not the best, I will look for something else."
Martin: Marc Marquez is one of the best in history. So if I beat him…
The big talking point ahead of the 2024 season is the arrival of Marc Marquez to Ducati, via a seat at the satellite Gresini team.
“For me, it is not a problem that Marquez comes to Ducati. He is a big threat, because he is one of the best in history, but it is a motivation for me. If I manage to beat him, then I will establish myself as one of the best too,” Martin said.
“Marquez may have an advantage at the beginning of the season over us because he will have a [2023] bike already prepared. For the official riders the tests are much more complicated because there are many things to test.”
