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MotoGP

Defeated Martin on Bagnaia scare, Marquez crash + where he lost

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
6 min read

until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League

Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Martin admitted that "overconfidence" contributed to his defeat in the 2023 title race versus Pecco Bagnaia - and has explained the two incidents that compromised him in the Valencia finale.

Martin had a near-miss with Bagnaia into Turn 1 while harrying him for the lead in a must-win race, then crashed with Marc Marquez while trying to recover.

Though he occasionally skipped media duties after disappointing results earlier in the season, this time Martin faced the media for what was a fairly extensive conversation.

THE BAGNAIA NEAR-MISS

"Well, I was trying to overtake Pecco," recalled Martin of the incident that could've put both of them out on the spot and immediately crowned Bagnaia as champion (albeit while also carrying a huge injury risk).

Martin had tucked in behind Bagnaia for the lead at the start of the third lap, but sought to follow him through the corner - only to realise he was not going to get the bike stopped in time.

It was nearly a mirror image of Bagnaia's own near-miss from the weekend prior versus that race's leader Fabio Di Giannantonio.

"It was a really complicated place but I think was the best option to move up a little bit the race," Martin explained.

"Then I saw it was complicated, too risky, so I tried to be behind, but I was - I don't know the word - 'sucked' by the slipstream.

"But it was the biggest time of my life. I thought I was going to push him out, and it would've been a great [big] crash. I tried to avoid it."

THE MARQUEZ CRASH

Martin rejoined the race in eighth place and had overtaken Alex Marquez and Maverick Vinales before arriving on the back of a battle between the elder Marquez and Johann Zarco.

He felt neither rider was predominantly responsible for the incident that followed.

"I was feeling much stronger than the other ones. Maybe I was too impatient, had to wait a little bit - after overtaking Maverick I tried to overtake straight away Marc," said Martin.

"I think I had the position but then he released the brakes, and when I was already into the corner I feel like he closed the line, and I mean, I couldn't do nothing."

Marquez's view

Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin crash, MotoGP

"It was a big impact. Especially on the head and the ankle. But nothing broken, so this is the most important. And also the neck, because I went in on the gravel.

"Jorge was a bit too optimistic on that overtake, but I understand. I will not push against him, I understand completely his mentality. I saw the race and I think he warmed up with Vinales. I can imagine that he was only looking at the red one in front far away, and he was attacking.

"So, as a rider, I understand. And he already said sorry to me. But OK, we receive, this time we receive, but this doesn't change that emotions during the weekend were super nice."

Martin hadn't yet spoken to Marquez by the time he faced the media.

"I'm sorry for him, sorry for me, I think was a combination of things," he said.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Ducati, MotoGP

"I think it wasn't his fault but it wasn't mine because I was inside already.

"It's also a pity because it was his last race with Honda - but... it's racing."

UNIMPRESSED WITH VINALES

Maverick Vinales, Aprilia, MotoGP

Martin reserved a couple of unprompted sentences for Aprilia rider Vinales, who he had a fairly rowdy fifth-lap battle with.

Lunging down the inside of Vinales at Turn 4 - having successfully done the same to Alex Marquez the lap before - Martin was surprised to see Vinales cut the line and strike back down the inside of Turn 5.

Martin then sent it down the inside of Vinales at Turn 11, but ran out even wider this time, again leaving the door open for a Vinales retaliation.

Finally, the Aprilia rider was vanquished through Turn 2 the next time around as he made an error while in the wheeltracks of the Marquez-Zarco battle up ahead, opening the door for Martin, whose race-ending collision followed a few corners later.

"I didn't understand exactly what Maverick was doing, because you know, I'm battling for a championship, he was battling for sixth," said Martin.

"No sense to overtake back, I think!"

THE VIEW OF THE SEASON

Martin started his media session with a congratulations to Bagnaia.

"I feel like he deserved also a lot this championship, he's done an amazing job during all the season," he said of his rival.

"And I'm happy also for Ducati.

Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati, MotoGP

"Today seems like it's a day to cry, for sure I did already. [It seems like] it's a day to forget. But now I don't feel this way.

"I feel like it's a day to celebrate. What we achieved from being in a satellite team, I think we did history and I'm happy about the 13 wins [in sprint races and grands prix], I don't know how many podiums, I don't know how many laps led.

"I think it was an outstanding job this season. The target, I feel like it was to be in the top three. And we did much more than that. But for sure when you are so close to getting it, you don't want to lose it.

"But I think we didn't lose the championship today. Arriving 21 behind was a big problem. But I feel like we were the strongest since half of the season to now, and hopefully we can start the [2024] season this way."

WHERE THE TITLE WAS LOST

Jorge Martin, Pramac Ducati, MotoGP

In Qatar, Martin said the title was being ripped away from him by Michelin - having felt that the rear tyre he had at his disposal in Sunday's race was faulty.

Michelin's investigation into the matter is ongoing, but its initial analysis did not find manufacturing fault. And when asked on Sunday what he felt were the moments he'd lost the title, Martin did not reference Qatar.

Instead, he pointed to his crash out of the lead in Indonesia and his failed soft-tyre gamble at Phillip Island.

"I think maybe Japan was the point where I said, 'We can win the championship'," Martin said.

"Then, you know, the pressure arrived. I didn't enjoy from Thailand to Qatar, I struggled a lot mentally. It was my first time feeling this kind of pressure.

"And I struggled, and I didn't enjoy. I think when I'm enjoying like this weekend I am the fastest.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Ducati, MotoGP

"I would say not just one race [lost me the title], maybe two, maybe Indonesia and Australia. Where those races where I could - the balance could change from being leading with 20 points to being back [behind by] with 27.

"Maybe being too good at that point gave me overconfidence and I said, 'OK, I can go away with five seconds, I can win with another tyre, I can do whatever I want', and we are in MotoGP, and you cannot do this.

"You have to be really conscious about where you are, and try to be always with the same tools as your rivals."

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