Jorge Martin talks up MotoGP championship credentials despite poor San Marino GP performance - ‘I’m the best rider’
Updated 13/09/2024 at 17:27 GMT+1
Jorge Martin came out fighting after a poor result at the San Marino GP, which leaves reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia breathing down his neck in the riders' championship race. Despite a tactical misjudgement last week, the Spaniard believes there is currently nobody better than him on the grid. Martin will be back in action at the Italian GP next weekend.
'I should've waited to do the same as Pecco' - Martin left to rue San Marino GP strategy
Video credit: TNT Sports
Jorge Martin believes he is the most complete rider in MotoGP right now, despite a disappointing performance at the San Marino Grand Prix last week.
The riders’ championship leader made a costly error of judgement after going to the pits twice for separate bike changes, leaving him a lap behind the leading pack in a race won by Marc Marquez.
It has been an anomaly for the Prima Pramac Racing rider in this campaign though, and he still holds a seven-point lead over reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
When quizzed in an interview with DAZN regarding who he felt the best rider was, he replied: “It's very difficult.
“What does being the best rider mean? It's very ambiguous, it's very difficult.
“There's a high level, the four of us who are there in the fight, the four with Ducati, Pecco [Bagnaia], Marc [Marquez], Enea [Bastianini] and I are one step ahead – that's clear.
“At the moment, it may seem arrogant, but I think I'm the best rider there is.
“I have to polish things, work and improve. That's something I can't stop doing, because if not, in the end, in half a year, you go from first to eighth.
“But I think I'm the fastest there is, and the numbers show it, it's not just me saying it.”
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Martin ‘super happy’ to jump Bagnaia off line and hold on for win in Misano Sprint
Video credit: TNT Sports
The narrative surrounding Martin certainly looked very different last Saturday when the Spaniard won the Sprint race.
He told TNT Sports afterwards: "I'm super happy, I think we did a really good job – even from practice we were trying to find perfection so it was difficult.
"Today I expected to be fighting with Pecco but I did not expect to do that from the start, and from that point I was okay.
"Thirteen laps of qualifying pace, I was pushing and trying to not make any mistakes and be super focussed.
"I have a gap to keep for the last two laps, so I'm super happy. For tomorrow, it's another story, but I feel confident that we are super fast."
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Unfortunately for Martin, it certainly was a different story on Sunday as he was forced to settle for a 15th-place finish in the main race.
Focus now shifts to the Italian GP next weekend, starting with practice on Friday, September 20.
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