MARTIN TARGETS APRILIA’S FIRST MOTEGI PODIUM

Jorge Martin was taken aback to learn that Aprilia has never reached the premier-class podium at Motegi. The Japanese circuit has been a happier hunting ground for Ducati, Honda and Yamaha, all of which have won there multiple times. KTM has also scored Sprint and Grand Prix podiums and taken pole. Martin himself swept the Sprint and Grand Prix for Pramac Ducati in 2023.

Now riding for Aprilia, the championship leader believes the team can challenge that history. Aprilia showed its progress in Austria, where Martin won the Sprint and finished second in the Grand Prix behind KTM’s Pedro Acosta. “It surprises me,” Martin said of the Motegi record, adding that the bike had changed considerably since previous seasons. “We know it’s not an Aprilia track, let’s say, but Austria wasn’t either, so I feel we’ve improved the package a lot.”

A new surface at Motegi adds an unknown, Martin noted, but he expects the team to be in contention. “It will be interesting to understand tomorrow, but I think we are doing a good job. We are normally always fighting for the podium, so why not again in this race?”

The title picture is also on Martin’s mind. He and reigning Ducati champion Marc Marquez have opened a gap of at least 30 points over Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, but Martin rejected the idea that the championship has become a two-rider contest. “I think it’s still open,” he said. While he acknowledged that he and Marquez are ahead of the rest, he stressed the importance of consistency and finishing races. His Austrian result, he said, was a welcome response after a difficult Aragon weekend.

Martin described competing with Marquez as a privilege, while recognising the scale of the challenge. “For sure, Marc is incredibly fast,” he said. “I’m so happy” to be in a position to fight him, but he believes other riders can still enter the title battle.

Despite his strong record in the Asian rounds, Martin says he needs more outright pace. He has won one Grand Prix so far this season and sees speed as the key to improving his championship prospects. “Compared to Marco and Marc, overall I miss a bit of speed,” he said. “I feel we are strong, but I am not superior than them.”

His task, he added, is to find more performance from both himself and the Aprilia. “We need to understand how to push a bit more from the bike and from me, and try to find that speed to be able to fight for the championship.”