MARTIN SAYS MARQUEZ GAINS TIME BY RELEASING THE BRAKES EARLY

Jorge Martin’s 2026 title challenge has been built on consistency and a refined braking approach, but a fractured wrist sustained in the Australian Grand Prix Sprint has left his hopes hanging by a thread. Marc Marquez could clinch the championship at the Portuguese Grand Prix: he needs to outscore Martin by two points, or by just one if Marco Bezzecchi wins the Portimao Sprint. Bezzecchi is 74 points behind Marquez, with 74 still available, while Martin trails by 60.

The fight has given Martin a close look at how his rivals use the brakes. He believes Marquez gains an advantage by releasing them early and carrying speed into the turn. “He’s definitely one who lets off the brake early and is very fast when turning in,” Martin told MOW, adding that he had not looked at Marquez’s data recently.

Bezzecchi, by contrast, applies heavy pressure to the lever to slow the Aprilia and prepare for a quick first throttle input. Martin described himself as between the two: “I brake hard, I stop well [and] I come out fast.” He said he is not the latest braker, but considers his approach more balanced and says he exits corners quickly.

That balance has taken time to develop. After a difficult, injury-hit 2025, Martin returned to the front this season and became Marquez’s closest title challenger. His move to Aprilia had initially brought braking difficulties, and late last year he acknowledged being “less effective” than Bezzecchi in that area while working to adopt a more aggressive initial brake application. By 2026, he had refined his technique and was able to fight for the championship.

The wrist injury has now limited his ability to use that approach. It affected his braking at Qatar, even though Lusail has relatively few heavy-braking zones. Martin’s injury also followed his Australian Sprint crash and forced him to miss the Malaysian Grand Prix. Bezzecchi’s mistakes have also damaged his title prospects, leaving Marquez in a strong position to secure the crown in Portugal.