“I feel more prepared for the Sprint Race than for Sunday”

2023-10-27 14:14:43

He led FP1 and also Friday Practice. Jorge Martín starts the Thai Grand Prix in style, an event in which the Madrid native is confident of being able to reduce the 27 points that currently separate him from Pecco Bagnaia in the overall championshipand at the moment it seems that things are going well for him at the Chang Circuit.

The PRAMAC rider was a couple of tenths behind Buriram’s absolute record today in a session in which he finished on the gravel of Turn 3; And Martín, with a minute and a half left to finish the session, He lost control of his Ducati while braking and hit the ground face-first. Fortunately, without physical or moral damage.

The only thing that Martín regrets today is not knowing what caused his fall in the final stretch of the Practice, a mishap that he himself defines as “strange”: “This afternoon’s fall was strange, I didn’t understand what I went through. Logically there will be an explanation, then we will have to check everything. Tomorrow I’m sure I’ll brake more carefully there (laughs). Maybe I got off the hook a little earlier, I don’t know, to be honest. But I won’t fall there again.”

Leaving aside his accident, the one from San Sebastián de los Reyes explained what he has dedicated most of his time on the track to: “I have focused my work on the pace, with the (medium) tire we are at the limit. I don’t feel as strong as in other races, but I know I have room and that I can fight for the top positions if I start in the top five.

Although Martín does not look as superior as on other tracks, #89 trusts his pace with used rubber: “In the afternoon I was very competitive with the used tires from the morning. Since everyone was using new tires, I was on the used ones and was still in the top-5 or top-6, which is good for Saturday and Sunday. At this Buriram track, the tires wear a lot front and rear, so it will be difficult to understand this for Sunday. But it’s the same for everyone.”

Late drama for @88jorgemartin at the end of Practice! ????

The Spaniard crashed out at Turn 3 after setting the fastest lap of the session but he remained on top of the timesheets anyway ????#ThaiGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/FTIDoSeBVt

— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) October 27, 2023

For now, the Spaniard believes he has more potential in Saturday’s short race than in Sunday’s, where the heat and tire wear will put the entire field to the test: “I feel more prepared for the Sprint Race than for Sunday. I think Sunday’s race will be very long. After the sensations I had at Phillip Island, it is not easy to get here and see that the tires have a big ‘drop’ (performance drop). “Let’s hope we make the right decision and understand what my rivals are doing to run with a similar strategy.”

Read also: (Video) A piece of Jorge Martín’s motorcycle hits Marc Márquez in his right shoulder

Despite the mishap experienced today, Martín affirms “not to be worried” for his fall because “it’s part of the game”, especially when you push so hard: “Tomorrow I will try to do a good qualifying and then in the Sprint we will have a pretty clear idea of ​​everything. I think that for Sunday the most important thing will be difficult to manage the tires here“declared the one from PRAMAC.