Pramac rider Jorge Martin has admitted that “it’s difficult to manage the pressure” of leading the MotoGP championship after his win in the Indonesia Grand Prix.
Martin crashed out of the lead of Saturday’s Sprint race but earned his redemption with an impressive display in the Sunday race at Mandalika, leading every lap.
“For sure, it was a tough one. It was a really nice weekend, I think except for this small crash I had in the sprint yesterday,” Martin told TNT Sports’ Gavin Emmett after the race.
“Overall I felt super good, I’m so happy and today was difficult.
“To finish was the target, I was trying to ride at 80% but when you are there, it’s impossible.
“I was giving my hundred per cent, for sure trying to manage, always a little bit trying to be careful.
“I had some ghosts in Lap 13 about last season, on that corner 11 so Pedro was catching again, but then I was able to retake that confidence and rebuild it.
“I’m proud of the mental side, for sure it’s difficult to manage the pressure.
“Sometimes I do it better, sometimes a bit worse, so the important thing is to understand why and try to improve.
“So thanks to all the people who were awake today really early to watch this victory and hopefully I can give them some more.”
Martin ‘too optimistic’ in Indonesia Sprint
Martin conceded that the reason for his Turn 16 crash in the earlier truncated Sprint was being “too optimistic” on the opening lap of the race.
He also admitted that his crash made him rethink how he approached the corner in the early stages of the race due to the difference in feeling between MotoGP’s Michelin tyres and the Pirelli rubber used in Moto2.
“The important thing is to understand the situation of the race and the situation of the track at every moment,” said the Pramac rider.
“Yesterday I was too optimistic, I wasn’t faster on that corner but I was too fast for that moment of the race.
“I didn’t think yesterday about the Moto2 practice session with the Pirelli tyres so I was pushing like it was a normal lap, and then I crashed.
“So today, for the first two, three laps I was able to be at my 50%, then I got to 80%, and then when Pecco was catching it was 150% until I had this two-second gap that I was able to manage.”
Martin believes he has been the best in 2024
Martin’s lead in the championship was cut into once more by Francesco Bagnaia, but the outcome is a lot better than what it could have been for the Spaniard.
He saw his lead at the top of the Riders’ standings halved after the Sprint, but a dominant display in Sunday’s race saw him restore the advantage to 21 points.
“The important thing is that now we are in the lead, so to this moment we have been perfect, we have been the best out of all the riders on track,” said Martin.
“It’s always difficult, I think Pecco has three championships on his back with a lot of experience, he’s able to be strong even on his bad days.
“I will try to do the same, I will try to control him a bit and try to be close and if it’s possible, try to take more points.
“The target on my side is to work on myself, to try to be my best version and the result that comes is not the target, the target is to be better every day.”
