Jorge Martin explains Barcelona MotoGP Practice ‘agitation’
Were nerves getting to Jorge Martin in Practice at this weekend’s MotoGP title decider?
Jorge Martin needs to score 14 points at this weekend’s MotoGP Soidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona in order to be crowned champion for the first time.
It’s a straightforward task for a rider who has finished all but three races inside the top-two positions in the second half of 2024 — on paper, at least.
The cool conditions in Barcelona, as well as the low grip of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, are clear hurdles set up for a rider in a position such as Martin’s to trip over at the moment where there was nothing to be gained and everything to be lost.
So, was Martin struggling to stay calm in practice in Barcelona? “No,” he said.
“For sure I’m a bit more nervous, but it’s completely normal. But I want to focus like a normal weekend.
“Actually, I’m really calm: my family is here, my friends are here, so I can relax with them in the evening, and disconnect a bit more than maybe in the Asian tour. So, I’m happy about this.
“I think the most difficult thing is that we are racing in Montmelo in a date that we never raced [here]. So, we are not used to Montmelo in these conditions, so it’s a bit more difficult: less grip, less confidence, and this maybe in my position is a bit worse.”
If there was any point where Martin seemed to show some nerves, it was towards the end of Practice when he entered pit lane between time attack runs and called over his crew chief Daniele Romagnoli with a series of fairly animated gestures.
Martin explained: “There is a lot of noise in the paddock, so when you want to call somebody you only can make some gestures. So, it seems like I was agitated — I was, a bit — but it’s more that I wanted to speak with Daniele [Romagnoli], but I couldn’t.
“Normally, he’s there always, but [this time] he wasn’t. I want everything the same as always, and this wasn’t, so that’s why I was a bit nervous.
“Then Gino [Borsoi, Pramac team manager] tried to take me [to Romagnoli], and it was even worse — ‘Don’t touch me’. I want to keep it normal, keep it the same.”
Bagnaia: “Jorge absolutely has to do something wrong…”
Martin’s only remaining championship rival, Francesco Bagnaia, agreed with Martin that the Spaniard is handling the pressure well so far, and offered his own experience in 2022 as a reference.
“I want to say that, in 2022 when it was my first title, I arrived here in a similar situation as Jorge [Martin],” Bagnaia said.
“I arrived with 23 points of gap, and without the Sprint. So, my goal was to finish 14th, and I was very under pressure, I finished the race ninth.
“It’s difficult to manage, and I think he did a good job because he finished fifth, he almost crashed twice but he remained on track, so I think he did a good job. He tested many tyres, and it’s normal to be under pressure when you’re fighting for a title.
“Right now, in my situation, I just have to win, so I’m in a different situation, and it’s similar to when I was in 2022, recovering 91 points — when you are in that situation that you have to win, it’s easier to remain calm, because it’s the only way possible.
“Right now I feel better, but I’m jealous and I would like to be in his situation.”
Ultimately, Bagnaia is counting on misfortune for Martin in order to be crowned World Champion for the third time.
“Jorge absolutely has to do something wrong to make me win, I think,” he said. “Because, even if I win, he still has a lot of margin, so he will have to do something wrong.”
Marc Marquez: “I don’t see that Martin is nervous…”
Marc Marquez also concurred, and said that it’s better for Martin to make mistakes in practice than later on in the weekend.
“I don't see that [Jorge] Martin is nervous,” Marquez said. “Of course, he's pushing and he's trying to find the limits and it's better to find on the practice.
“But it's normal that when you are fighting for the world championship and only in 24 laps of the race you can be the world champion or not.
“It's more difficult to ride, and especially when you are in the position of Martin because you only can lose and Pecco only can win.
“So Pecco is doing what he needs to dom that is riding super fast as he always did here in Montmelo.
“And in my experience, I remember that feeling in 2013 fighting against [Jorge] Lorenzo, who was already four times world champion.
“So yeah, it was not easy. I was 20-years-old. Martin has more experience in MotoGP and he can manage in a good way.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
