Jorge Martin says track limits warning led to costly Misano MotoGP sprint error

Pramac MotoGP rider Jorge Martin says a lack of concentration due to a track limits warning led to the error that lost him sprint victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Martin vaulted ahead of poleman Francesco Bagnaia from second on the grid to take the lead at the start of the 13-lap sprint race on Saturday at Misano.

The Pramac rider absorbed intense pressure from the double world champion across the first seven laps in a repeat of the San Marino sprint from two weeks ago.

But at Turn 13 on lap eight, Martin ran wide and allowed Bagnaia to take the lead.

Despite staying on the factory Ducati rider’s tail, Martin was powerless to stop Bagnaia taking a crucial victory.

Martin later blamed the mistake on a loss of concentration at being handed a track limits warning running off the circuit on lap seven.

“Yeah, for sure I couldn’t keep that concentration when I got that track limits warning,” Martin said in parc ferme after the sprint.

“I did this small mistake that was the key for losing the race.

“I think staying in front I could have had a bit more possibilities [to win].

“But Pecco, I think, was unstoppable today. I think for tomorrow I maybe am a bit stronger. We will find the way to be back on the victory.”

He added: “I’m happy with how the day went. For sure I missed the victory, this I know 100%.

“But I think I did a good start, from that point I was really focused on my pace, on my feelings.

“Then I received this track limits warning in a bad place and I missed a bit the concentration, and I missed the line and I let Pecco past. For sure, a small mistake that I paid really heavily with losing the victory.”

Martin has fallen foul of track limits rules already this season, when he was leading in the Austrian GP sprint.

In that race, Martin ran across the Turn 2 chicane, which lost him the lead to Bagnaia. But he was then handed a long lap penalty for having not lost the required second when shortcutting a track.

In the Emilia Romagna sprint, 14 riders were given warnings for exceeding track limits, while Raul Fernandez and Joan Mir were hit with long lap penalties for repeatedly running off the circuit.

Race winner Bagnaia did not exceed track limits during the 13-lap sprint.

Martin’s defeat in the Emilia Romagna sprint has seen his championship lead cut from seven points to just four ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.

If Bagnaia wins the grand prix, he will take the lead in the standings heading to next week’s Indonesian GP.

Ducati also has a chance to win its 100th grand pix on Sunday and wrap up the constructors’ standings with five rounds in hand.