Explained: What is the ‘chatter’ blighting Jorge Martin’s Ducati?

Jorge Martin’s weekend at the Qatar MotoGP was blighted by chatter problems.

The Pramac rider somehow still qualified on pole position, won the sprint race, and finished the grand prix on the podium.

Without chatter issues, Martin reckons he can soon become unbeatable.

What is chatter?

“Chatter is, essentially, a frequency of vibration through the machine,” Michael Laverty explained on TNT Sports.

“It can start from the rear tyre, it can start from the front. It is a frequency.

“It is so frustrating, as a rider. Your handlebars start to oscillate.

“You don’t have grip from the tyres, they are skipping really fast on the ground.

“Ducati have a mass damper in the seat unit, that does dampen out the frequency but it doesn’t seem to be doing enough right now.

“It can come from suspension, damper adjustment, tyre pressure…

“There are lots of ways to dial it in or try to make it better for the rider.

“But there is no scientific method of how to eradicate chatter. It can be such a frustrating problem to have.”

Martin complained after the Qatar grand prix: “At the moment we have vibrations. I cannot use the rear brake and there are some points that are my strongest areas of riding which I cannot use.

“Let’s wait and let the engineers work. I have done my part, now they need to do theirs.”

He added: “I’m not riding 100% of the package with the new bike. If we improve I guess we can be much more competitive.”

Martin said after the Saturday sprint: “I don’t want to speak a lot about the problem because I don’t know if I can. But I had some issues which were the same as in the test.

“During the weekend it was quite okay but today it wasn’t so we need to understand well and make a step.

“As soon as we solve that problem I can be much faster. It is what it is but let’s try to take the maximum out of the situation.”