MARTIN DEFENDS TWO-POINT TITLE LEAD AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Jorge Martin arrives at Phillip Island determined to protect his two-point advantage over Marc Marquez in the MotoGP championship, saying he feels “fast and ready” for the Australian Grand Prix. The Aprilia rider leads 355-353 with five rounds remaining, after the pair came away from Mandalika with equal points.

Martin said he had put Indonesia behind him and was focused on the new challenge. He felt he had made the most of that weekend, taking a podium, and believed a tyre-pressure problem had cost him a possible sprint victory. “I did my maximum. I took good points, a podium,” he said. “So I feel fast and ready for what’s coming.”

Marquez had described himself as “the happiest” after leaving Mandalika without losing points to Martin, despite finishing sixth in the main race. He had expected to lose ground at a circuit he considered favourable to Aprilia, and said avoiding a larger deficit was “something amazing.” Martin said he had not heard Marquez’s comments before they were put to him, adding: “He’s entitled to his opinion.”

Marquez is also aiming high at Phillip Island, targeting a haul “as close as possible” to the maximum 37 points available across the weekend. The reigning champion acknowledged that the circuit suits Aprilia, but is seeking to make the most of the opportunity in his close title fight with Martin.

Martin also cautioned against assuming a rider will dominate at any particular track. “You can arrive at a circuit thinking you’re going to win everything, and leave with an even bigger lead, and then you crash,” he said. He felt the tyre-pressure issue had changed the Mandalika sprint: “If it hadn’t been for the pressure, I would have won on Saturday and on Sunday we wouldn’t have been so far ahead.” Despite that setback, he said he had felt “very fast, very competitive” and believed he could be competitive in Australia.

Phillip Island may offer a closer contest than Mandalika, where Aprilia had been particularly strong. Martin expects the circuit’s competitive field to produce group racing, making the outcome difficult to predict. “It’s a track where we are all quite fast and the difference is less,” he said. “I hope it can be a nice battle,” while adding that he would still aim to be faster than the rest.

The circuit presents a different test for the title rivals. Marquez has won there four times, including in 2024, his only previous Phillip Island appearance on a Ducati. Martin, by contrast, has yet to race an Aprilia RS-GP at the track. Both riders missed last year’s Australian round through injury; Aprilia won both races, with Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez taking victories.

Rain is forecast for the closing stages of the weekend, and Martin said completing both races and avoiding trouble would be important. He declined to name a specific result target, instead prioritising pace, confidence and a strong overall performance. “If we can take some points from Marc it’s always good,” he said, but stressed that his main aim was to perform well and “try to be clever.”

Aprilia team-mate Bezzecchi is third in the standings on 309 points, 46 behind Martin, after scoring 25 at Mandalika. Martin and Marquez each took 22 points there. The championship leader’s immediate focus, however, is on managing the weekend and maintaining his narrow edge over Marquez.