Jorge Martín reflected on the various chapters of the season that has just ended and expressed regret at losing the world title in 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 got close to the title. In the end, it was complicated 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 rider, 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 sang, after having won 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 hard time from Thailand to Qatar. In October, I was obsessed with winning, but it was a complicated year, I didn’t start 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 load on your team is negative; they are your family, and that’s not the way. When I saw that something wasn’t 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 continued on the ground, there would have been a crash, by getting up I made Marc Márquez’s bike skid, and that caused both of us to end up on the ground. I felt bad 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 I was surprised by Marc’s attitude. He told me to stay calm and that he would have done the same if he was fighting for the world championship. Days later, I exchanged helmets with him.”
The king of sprints also talked about the secret to shining in the races on Saturday.
“In 42 minutes, there’s a lot of management. It’s not just about giving gas and waiting to see what God wants. I have to think a lot in strategic terms. In the sprint, it’s more by instinct, it’s more pure speed. And there I am very strong, so I won nine times,” he explained.
Martín claims that he has only one great friend among the riders who are competing in the premier category.
“I get along well with only one rider, Aleix Espargaró. We have a relationship as if we were brothers. Since I was 16, he has always taken great care of me; with the others, I don’t intend for them 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.”