A "more natural" motorcycle and big steps forward: the Jorge Martín threat?

The 2024 world champion is enjoying a very strong start to the season, trailing his teammate Marco Bezzecchi by just eleven points. Bezzecchi has won the first three Grands Prix of the season and finished second in Jerez this Sunday. Could Jorge Martín be having a season mirroring his 2024 campaign, which saw him clinch the title despite Francesco Bagnaia's eleven Grand Prix victories? The Madrid native remains as comfortable as ever with the Sprint format, as evidenced by his victory in Saturday's race in Austin, USA, a race in which his teammate crashed out.

On Sunday, despite a less-than-ideal feeling on an Aprilia that managed to perform well on a track where it wasn't necessarily expected to be at the front, Jorge Martín finished fourth, thus minimizing his points loss to Bezzecchi, who crossed the finish line in second place. The test day held on Monday in Andalusia allowed the Spaniard to regain his confidence; with different tires than those used in the race, he was immediately able to find his rhythm.

“We quickly realized that the bad feeling on Sunday came from the rear tire, not the bike's balance. On Monday, I felt great right from the start, and every time we added something to the bike, we took a step forward. Now I need to adapt to these new parts to be able to be consistent with them, but I'm really very happy.”

While the lap time itself wasn't particularly impressive for number 89, Monday in Jerez was nonetheless an excellent day, according to Jorge Martín. He rode an Aprilia that is now the best machine in the... MotoGPThe former Pramac Ducati rider sees areas for improvement still available, and which, above all, are improving with the arrival of new parts from the Noale factory.

“It was a really positive day for me and our other half of the team. We tried some new parts that were planned, and everything I tried was really positive, so I’m really happy about that. We need to keep working because there’s always room for improvement, but if you compare it to Sunday’s race, you can already see a big improvement.”

More and more on "his" motorcycle

Having suffered multiple injuries last year, in his first season with Aprilia, and having missed winter testing at the start of the season, Jorge Martín was never truly able to influence the development of the RS-GP, unlike his teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who now has a machine perfectly suited to his riding style. The Madrid native nevertheless believes that every lap completed, every improvement made, is a step in the right direction and brings the Italian machine closer to his own riding style. Will this lead him to the world title, or at least a constant battle against his teammate and the Ducatis, who will certainly be back in the game?

"I can't go into detail about the new parts, but basically they help me corner better, I have more rear grip, and I can ride a bit more naturally. Every time I take to the track, I feel more and more on 'my' bike, and that's really positive."