Jorge Martín reviewed the various chapters of the season that has just ended and lamented losing the world title the way it happened.
‘I lost the championship in the last race, many things happened this year, it was a very long season. I was far away and then I was close to the title. In the end, it was difficult to win because I arrived in Valencia at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the season, my goal was to be in the top-3. I am happy with the year I had’, detailed the Pramac man in an interview with the program “O Formigueiro”.
‘I really enjoyed the last race in Valencia, there were thousands of people and the fans supported me and cheered, after winning the sprint race, that it would be possible to win the title. And besides, I decided that I would enjoy it, whether I became champion or finished second. I had a tough time from Thailand to Qatar. In October, I was obsessed with winning, but it was a complicated year, I didn’t start off well at all, at least not the way I expected, but then I gained confidence and the victories came. I won 13 races, nine sprints and four long ones, and I was fast every weekend. But the truth is that when something didn’t go well, I got too tense. But putting that burden on your team is negative, they are your family and that is not the way. When I saw that something was not perfect, I reacted hotly. It’s a learning experience for next year,’ added the ‘Martinator’, who also recalled the accident that kept him out of the final race of 2023.
‘It was a complicated moment, I lifted the bike because, precisely, I didn’t want to do what I did. If I had stayed on the ground, there would have been a crash, by getting up I caused Marc Márquez’s bike to slide and that caused both of us to end up on the ground. It bothered me because it was his last race on the Honda, neither of us wanted that to happen. When I saw him after the race, I approached him and Marc’s attitude surprised me. He told me to stay calm and that he would have done the same if he was fighting for the championship. Days later, I swapped helmets with him.
The king of sprints also spoke about the secret to shining in the Saturday races.
‘In 42 minutes, there is a lot of management. It’s not just giving gas and waiting to see what God wants. I have to think a lot in strategic terms. In the sprint, it’s more instinct, it’s more pure speed. And there I am very strong, that’s why I won nine times’, explained.
Martín claims to have only one great friend among the riders competing in the premier class.
‘I only get along with one rider, who is Aleix Espargaró. We have a relationship as if we were brothers. Since I was 16, he has always taken good care of me, I don’t intend for the others to be my friends, they are rivals. I want to respect everyone, because our lives are at stake and this sport can be very dangerous’.
