MARQUEZ SAYS MARTIN’S DUCATI BRAKING DATA STOOD OUT

Marc Marquez says Jorge Martin’s Ducati data made a strong impression when he joined Gresini in 2024, describing the Spaniard as one of the riders who stood out most for the way he rode and what he could achieve.

Martin spent four seasons with Pramac, from 2021 to 2024, and won the 2024 MotoGP title on a Ducati GP24. He became the first rider in the MotoGP era to claim the championship with an independent team before moving to Aprilia. Martin had expected Ducati to promote him for 2025, but the factory instead chose Marquez, who had impressed on a year-old Ducati at Gresini.

The two Spaniards are now rivals in the 2026 title fight. Asked about Martin, Marquez called him “very talented” and said their riding styles have much in common. “He’s quite far back, but he’s a rider who doesn’t back down, and he’s a real fighter,” Marquez said. He singled out Martin’s focus on braking as a particular strength.

Marquez also cautioned that a rider’s results depend on the machinery available. “If he has the bike, as he has had and still has, he can do things,” he said. “If next year he doesn’t have the bike, no matter how much of a Martin, Marquez, or Quartararo you are, you can’t do anything.”

He described MotoGP as a combination of rider and bike, adding that riders must sometimes put pride aside to secure the best opportunity. By “swallow your pride,” Marquez said, he meant being willing to accept a lower salary.

That advice reflects Marquez’s own career choices. He left Honda a year before his contract ended to join Gresini and demonstrate that he could still compete at the front on a Ducati. After beating Martin to a factory Ducati seat for 2025, he reportedly accepted a substantially lower salary than he had earned at Honda. Following his 2025 title, his new Ducati deal for 2027 is reported to be worth €15 million. Honda was also said to have offered him €20 million a year to return, but he chose to stay with Ducati for the 850cc era.

Martin, meanwhile, is set to join Yamaha in 2027. Reports in the paddock have linked his decision to the financial terms on offer, with agent Alberto Valera said to have privately confirmed that money was a factor.