“Hungover” Jorge Martin: “Front feeling incredible” on Aprilia MotoGP debut
“It was the best bike I ever rode in terms of the front end. It was crazy”
New MotoGP champion Jorge Martin has revealed he was still feeling a little ‘second-hand’ on his way to eleventh place on his Aprilia debut at November’s Barcelona test.
But that didn’t stop the Spaniard revelling in the front-end feeling from the RS-GP, which was the only bike other than Ducati to win races last season.
“The [Tuesday] Barcelona test, firstly I was still hungover from Sunday! So, trust me, it was really difficult to ride because it was a huge party!” smiled Martin at the official Aprilia team launch, where it was also confirmed that he will race with the #1 plate this season.
“Then when I went on the bike, I didn’t know what to expect, so I had an [open] mind. The front feeling was incredible, it was unbelievable. I think it was the best bike I ever rode in terms of the front end. It was crazy.
“I was a bit slow at the beginning, but then I started to build some speed and I could see a bit of problems for me,” continued Martin, who had been a Pramac Ducati rider since joining MotoGP in 2020.
“Maybe it wasn’t for Aleix or Maverick, but it was for me. Like the movement was a bit more unstable than the Ducati. Then we started to do some changes and everything became more stable.”
Aprilia offered Martin and new team-mate Marco Bezzecchi the 2024 bike to try as well as a 2025 prototype.
“We tried new things for 2025 that were good also, like a new fairing, changes to the bike in general. It’s a big step compared to 2024, so I’m optimistic,” Martin said.
“Let’s say that the traction also I struggled a bit, but I think that’s more for me to adapt to the bike rather than the bike itself.
“I feel like the bike is really good and really competitive, but I need time to understand where to push, where to gain time or where to ride more slowly.”
Martin also acknowledged that he needs to change his riding style to get the most from the RS-GP.
“In the Barcelona test I was riding like it was still a Ducati. I need to change a lot my style,” he explained.
“I’ve been working already in the winter trying to analyse where I can be better.
“I’ve also been watching a lot of races to try to understand where they were good, like Maverick in Austin, Aleix in Silverstone - the positives.
“I think the bike is really good. I need time to adapt to it. But that’s it, I think we can do a great job.”
Martin has five more days of testing, starting at Sepang next month, before making his Aprilia grand prix debut at Buriram in March.
Quotes provided by Crash.net Journalist Alex Whitworth.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
