MotoGP Japan J2, Jorge Martin (Ducati Q11/S4): "Marc Marquez was the strongest today"

We are not used to seeing Jorge Martin come from so far away; In Japan, nothing went as planned for the "Martinator". While he had been excellent last year, he completely missed his qualifying session, leading to an 11th place on the grid. In modern MotoGP, it is difficult to distinguish yourself from the back, and the Spaniard is well aware of this. Fortunately, his talent and a few crashes allowed him to climb back to fourth place, quite far from the leading trio. Is he in trouble?

Jorge Martin was not boasting at the end of this Saturday in the Japanese archipelago. He finished fourth in the Sprint, while his rival for the crown Pecco Bagnaia took the victory. « It's a complicated Saturday. I made a mistake in qualifying that I paid for in the race. I didn't want to attack in the rain and I lost my race rhythm. The start of the Sprint was fantastic, I was not far from Marquez's level » he said to the microphones of Sky Sports.

 

 

But things went wrong for him moments later. “It rained quite a bit at turns 3 and 4, I closed too much. Marc arrived here, and I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.. Tomorrow it might be more difficult, but I saw a lot of things I could improve. » he continued. There is no doubt that the "Martinator" can be faster on a track that has smiled on it in the past.

 

 

He couldn't help but have a little word for Marc Marquez. « In my opinion, he was the strongest. If he hadn't wasted so much time with Enea, he could have won.. On the other hand, it is more risky when it rains." he concluded. Is this a hoax? Pecco Bagnaia, his rival, seemed quite confident at the end of the Practice, and also had a very good race. Apart from this last lap, he seemed stronger than Bastianini and Marquez.

Could Jorge Martin interfere in the debates tomorrow? Tell us in the comments!

2024 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix Sprint Result:

 

 

Classification credit: MotoGP.com

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport