In the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix, Jorge Martín had a sudden drop in performance from the Sprint race to the main race. The reasons are not clear, but they may have been related to tire performance, and Marco Melandri emphasized the importance of this component for overall performance.
The former rider told Corriere dello Sport: ‘There are some races where I expect a setback for Martín due to the tires: Michelin said the tire was fine, like the others, so it could be a pressure issue. Martín has scored the most points in the last few races, so I don’t think he suddenly fell asleep’.
Melandri stressed that tires have always been crucial: ‘The tire makes the bike. It’s much easier to improve with a tire than with a change in the bike: the secret to being fast is to put the power or braking power on the ground in the correct way and the tire is the only thing directly related to the asphalt. It has always been like this‘.
