JORGE MARTIN SAYS LEVEL POINTS WITH MARC MARQUEZ “LOOKS CRAZY” AHEAD OF AUSTRIA
1d ago·
Jorge Martin says it “looks crazy” that he and Marc Marquez are level on MotoGP points heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Aprilia rider officially listed second despite the tie.
Marquez took the lead in the standings for the first time this year at the San Marino Grand Prix, where he scored his fifth win of the campaign. Martin, meanwhile, finished fifth after dealing with an arm pump issue at Misano, and the result left the two riders on 274 points each. Because of the championship’s results-countback system, Martin is registered in second place even though the points are equal.
Speaking on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring, Martin said he will simply aim to do his best. “It’s nice, I’m happy that we are equal on points at this stage; it looks crazy for me.” He added that the most encouraging part of the most recent race was the chance to race alongside Marquez and fight for position. “But, honestly, the last race, just those 11 laps, at least being with Marc and being able to overtake him were so fun; I really enjoyed it.”
Even though he ended the weekend with a fifth-place finish, Martin said he still took positives from it. “Even if at the end I finished fifth, I got some positives from the weekend. So, I hope to find that feeling again. I hope to find that speed.” He also linked his hopes to his physical condition, saying he wants to be able to stay with Marquez for the full distance. “And I hope that my condition is good enough to be able to follow him to the end.”
The Austrian round also comes with uncertainty around Martin’s arm pump problem. After the issue raised concerns that he might need an operation following the Red Bull Ring, Martin said he has recovered well in the days leading up to the event. “For sure, last race I had this issue with my arm.” He then explained his approach for the weekend: “But I think I recovered quite well. I will focus on it like it’s a normal weekend. I don’t want to think about it. If it happens again, then I will make a decision.”
Martin said he is trying to treat the Red Bull Ring as a standard race preparation rather than a special case, and he believes the circuit is not likely to be the most demanding for his condition. “But I want to take it as a normal weekend. I think this track is not the hardest in this way, so I’m really focused on this weekend, really focusing on making the bike work.”
With Marquez currently setting the pace, Martin’s immediate goal is to stay close to the reigning seven-time champion. “Now it’s time to be close to Marc, who is really strong.”
The Red Bull Ring is a track Martin knows well, with memories from his MotoGP debut season in 2021, when he scored his first premier-class win there with Pramac Ducati. On his last visit to the circuit, he finished second in both races. Due to injury, this will be his first Austrian Grand Prix as an Aprilia rider.