Change at the top of the MotoGP rider standings: Jorge Martin gives Francesco Bagnaia an early wedding present at the Sachsenring
At the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, everything pointed to Jorge Martin (Pramac-Ducati) extending his lead in the championship until the penultimate lap of the MotoGP race. After winning the sprint on Saturday, the Spaniard was on course to win the main race
But then the front wheel of his Ducati Desmosedic GP24 slipped off in turn 1. This cleared the way for world champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), who took the win and the lead in the world championship.
Martin cannot explain his crash. “It’s really difficult to understand. I haven’t had time to analyze the crash yet. I will take my time to do that. I want to analyze it calmly,” commented the Spaniard immediately after the race at the Sachsenring.
“I had one gear more today. It’s a shame that I didn’t make it to the end, because it was a great opportunity to win,” Martin mourns the victory in the Grand Prix and emphasizes: “It’s not the end of the world. “
Self-conscious statements despite painful mistake
In the race, Martin lost the lead at the start of the race, but then moved back into the lead and was more than a second ahead at times. “I was just very consistent and tried to be clever,” he remarks.
However, the crash in turn 1 buried all hopes. “It’s a mistake, there’s no excuse for it. It’s a big mistake, it’s painful. It’s really frustrating. It’s hard to accept,” confessed the Pramac rider.
In the duel with defending champion Bagnaia, Martin felt he had the advantage. “He had to fight a bit more on the right-hand side,” Martin recognizes and explains confidently: “It was really difficult for the others to catch me. So if I continue to improve, then it will be difficult to beat me. “
Crashes in Jerez, Mugello and at the Sachsenring: Is there a pattern?
After a perfect Saturday with pole and sprint victory, Martin had the chance to deliver a perfect weekend. He was more than satisfied with his performance: “I was fast and rode perfectly. I got on well with both the front and rear tires. I felt fantastic, much better than in practice or qualifying. And then I crashed. “
“It’s a really important day in my career because it’s time to learn from it. The crashes in Jerez, Mugello and here are completely the same,” Martin states and concludes: “So there’s something, I don’t know if it’s my style or if it’s in my head.”
“There is something that makes me fall. So I have to take my time, analyze, learn and get up again,” said the former championship leader, who goes into the summer break with a ten-point deficit.
