MARTIN CONFIDENT HE CAN KEEP MARQUEZ AT BAY IN FINAL FIVE ROUNDS

Jorge Martin heads into the final five rounds of the 2026 MotoGP season with a two-point advantage over Marc Marquez, and says he expects to remain competitive as the title battle intensifies. After 17 of 22 rounds, Aprilia rider Martin has 355 points to Ducati’s Marquez on 353.

The Indonesian Grand Prix had looked like a chance for Martin to extend his lead. Marquez had never finished a Grand Prix at Mandalika, while Michelin brought heat-resistant rear tyres. Instead, Marquez won the Sprint and scored the same number of points as Martin across the weekend. Martin took third in the main race, while Marquez finished sixth; neither could match the pace of Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi or Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez.

Marquez capitalised on Martin’s low tyre pressures to win the Sprint. Martin also ran wide on the penultimate lap, dropping to fourth before recovering. The Aprilia rider said he was pleased to secure his third straight podium with the team and remained upbeat about the races ahead.

“I feel confident that I’ll be fast in all the remaining races,” Martin said. “There were races where I thought I’d struggle – and indeed I did – but now, I don’t think I’ll have any difficulties. I’ll be very competitive, and I’m very focused on what’s to come.”

Martin’s recent run began with second place in Austria and Japan, followed by third in Indonesia. It is his longest sequence of consecutive podiums since joining Aprilia in 2025. He also won the Sprint at the Red Bull Ring and might have challenged for the Mandalika Sprint victory had Aprilia not made an error with his front tyre pressures.

The consistency recalls Martin’s 2024 title-winning campaign with Pramac, when he beat Francesco Bagnaia by 10 points. He won three Grands Prix that season but reached the podium 16 times, including a late run of seven consecutive podiums. In 2026, he has one Grand Prix win so far, but his steady results have kept him ahead of Marquez.

The remaining schedule begins at Phillip Island on October 23–25, before the championship moves to Sepang, Lusail, Portimao and the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Phillip Island will host its final Australian Grand Prix, and Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi believes the event could offer a useful measure of Marquez’s title prospects. With only two points separating the contenders, Martin’s ability to sustain his form will be central to the closing stretch.