Jorge Martin Discusses Track Limits in Thai MotoGP Sprint: ‘I Played My Cards Right’

Pramac Racer Widens Championship Advantage in Thai Sprint

Jorge Martin revealed that he was concerned about adhering to track limits during the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix sprint. However, he strategically maneuvered to avoid receiving any penalties.

The Pramac rider had to make a comeback from fifth place on the first lap after veering off course at Turn 1 while attempting to overtake Francesco Bagnaia, who started third on the grid.

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Martin rapidly regained his position among the front-runners, securing second place by executing a bold maneuver on Bagnaia at Turn 7 during the seventh lap.

He ended up on the green run-off section and received a warning for exceeding track limits, repeating this infraction two laps afterward.

Bagnaia mentioned that he expected to receive a penalty because he believed he had exceeded track limits four times. However, Martin was formally recorded as having only crossed the limits twice, which is one infraction short of warranting a penalty.

When questioned about his concerns regarding track limits, Martin responded, "Definitely."

The speaker explains that they push their limits in corner seven by attempting a quick entry and accelerating early, which puts them at the edge of control on the exit.

"I utilized my cards. You are allowed to proceed on the green once, so I took advantage of that opportunity."

"Starting from there, I aimed to maintain a small buffer, though not too large, as I was aware that Pecco was particularly strong in that section of the track. Nonetheless, I needed to leave some room for error."

By surpassing Bagnaia and securing a second-place position in the sprint race, Martin has increased his lead in the overall standings to 22 points.

This implies that he could secure a second-place finish in every remaining race and still emerge as the champion.

"We'll find out over the next few races," he replied when questioned about his opinion on the matter.

"Absolutely, if you were to inquire whether I would agree to this, I would. My goal is to become a world champion."

"I'm not sure, but let's wait and see. Tomorrow, I might not be able to finish second. I'll give it my all, as Pecco is going to be very strong."

"I'll strive to be smart. My competition is definitely with him. If I manage to win, I'll seize the opportunity."

"My challenge lies elsewhere. It's going to be extremely tough. Pecco typically gets better on Sundays, so I'll have to step up my game as well."

Martin explained that veering off course at the first corner during the initial lap was his sole option, as failing to do so would have resulted in a collision with Bagnaia.

"It was quite challenging," he commented regarding his race.

"The initial turn presented a challenge. I felt my options were either to ease off the brakes and veer off course, which would mean losing several spots, or to collide with Pecco. I chose to go off course. It was definitely tough following that decision."

"I found myself in either sixth or seventh place as I approached the third corner. From there, things got challenging. The group was incredibly hot."

"Usually, I'm positioned further ahead, so I'm not accustomed to this level of heat. It was incredibly challenging, and I believe the temperature at the front rose significantly."

"In any case, I felt I was performing strongly and staying competitive. This is crucial, as I managed to pass Pedro Acosta, Marc Marquez, and Pecco again."

"I'm feeling good, and tomorrow's race is going to be quite challenging. I need to stay very concentrated."

Martin remains uncertain about which tires to select for the 26-lap grand prix, although the hard tires are expected to be the preferred choice, similar to last year.

On Friday, he put in a lot of effort on that task, but he was not satisfied with the performance of the used hard tires. Nonetheless, he mentioned that he will follow the same decision as Pecco, no matter the circumstances.

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Marc Marquez: 'Bagnaia Must Take Chances and Outperform Martin Tomorrow'

Marc Marquez talks about the MotoGP championship fight involving Martin and Bagnaia, as well as his own race for third place with Bastianini.

Jorge Martin managed to increase his lead over MotoGP championship competitor Francesco Bagnaia by just two points during the Sprint race in Buriram on Saturday.

However, Marc Marquez, the rider with the most experience in winning top-tier championships—having secured six titles—cautioned that it is essential for his upcoming factory Ducati teammate to surpass Martin in the race this Sunday.

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Marquez, who secured fourth place in the Sprint, anticipated an exciting showdown tomorrow between Bagnaia and Martin, noting that both are performing at high speeds.

"Bagnaia must take chances, as he needs to place ahead of Martin tomorrow to maintain any possibility of competing in Valencia."

Martin currently holds a 22-point lead, allowing him the possibility of securing the championship by finishing second to Bagnaia in the last five races.

Following an unexpected achievement by securing pole position, reigning two-time champion Bagnaia was overtaken at the start when the Pramac rider made an assertive move on the inside at the first corner, causing Martin to fall.

Martin's maneuver pushed both racers to the outer edge of the track, allowing Enea Bastianini, Bagnaia's teammate, to take the lead and maintain it until the finish line. Meanwhile, Martin managed to regain his pace, overtaking Bagnaia halfway through the race to secure second place.

Would Marc Marquez prefer securing third place in the championship or achieving another race victory? Bastianini's recent triumph brought him just eight points away from reclaiming third position in the world championship standings from Marquez.

The Gresini racer ended up 5.4 seconds behind Bastianini and is uncertain about his prospects against the GP24 competitor in the full grand prix event on Sunday.

Marquez mentioned that he has a personal battle for third place in the rankings with Bastianini. He noted that when Bastianini performs exceptionally well, he tends to have a bit more difficulty, and the reverse is also true. "We'll see how it goes," he added.

However, if Marquez were faced with choosing between finishing third in the world championship or securing another MotoGP victory, his preference is unmistakable: "A race win."

Marquez has only three opportunities left to secure a fourth grand prix win with Gresini, and these chances arise in Buriram, Sepang, or Valencia.

Marquez concurred that the final race of the Spanish season could present the greatest opportunity, provided that adverse weather conditions do not disrupt the standings.

"[Buriram] is a great track, and the weekend has been going well. However, Malaysia is one of the toughest tracks for me. You can never predict… We should at least have a race in wet conditions, right?" Marquez remarked.

According to some predictions, there is a possibility of rain in Thailand tomorrow.

Marquez chuckled and said, "I'd rather have the rain in Malaysia! Hopefully, we get at least one race in wet conditions."

"Setting humor aside, Valencia might present another chance for a win… Naturally, we will give it a shot, although it won't be easy."

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Rainy conditions kick off Sunday at the 2024 Thai MotoGP, bringing an unexpected element to the championship battle in Buriram.

Following a dry spell on Friday and Saturday, rain made its appearance at Buriram on Sunday morning during the Thai MotoGP.

As of 8 a.m., the rain had stopped, but the track remained drenched under thick cloud cover, with weather radars forecasting additional rain later in the day.

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The morning warm-up session for the MotoGP class, scheduled to begin at 10:40 am and lasting ten minutes, will be vital for determining an effective set-up for wet conditions.

Marc Marquez expressed his thoughts after securing fourth place in the Sprint, saying, "Shouldn't we have at least one race in the rain this season?" However, he added, "I'd rather it rain in Malaysia!"

Enea Bastianini clinched victory in the dry Sprint race, finishing ahead of championship frontrunner Jorge Martin, who currently maintains a 22-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia.

The Thai Grand Prix, which consists of 26 laps, is set to start at 3 p.m. local time.

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2024 Thai MotoGP in Buriram – Results from the Warm-up Session

The warm-up session results have been released for the Thai MotoGP at Buriram, marking the 18th round of the 2024 world championship series, which consists of 20 rounds.

* Newcom

Records from the Official MotoGP Event in Buriram:

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Fastest lap: Francesco Bagnaia clocked a time of 1 minute and 28.700 seconds (2024)

Quickest lap during the race: Marco Bezzecchi achieved a time of 1 minute and 30.896 seconds in 2023.

The Thai MotoGP in Buriram experienced its first wet track conditions of the weekend during the morning warm-up session.

Marc Marquez clocked the quickest time using the medium wet tires, surpassing championship frontrunner Jorge Martin and Repsol Honda's Luca Marini.

As the track begins to dry out gradually, additional rain showers and possibly severe storms are expected later in the day.

Miguel Oliveira remains out of action due to fractures in his right wrist sustained in Mandalika, with Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savado stepping in for him at Trackhouse.

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Marc Marquez dominates a rain-soaked morning practice session for the Thai MotoGP in Buriram.

During a wet morning warm-up at Buriram, Marc Marquez reclaimed the fastest time on the Thai MotoGP leaderboard, having been the quickest during the dry practice session on Friday.

Despite the rain having ended, the skies are still overcast, and weather predictions indicate more showers could occur later today.

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On Saturday night, Marquez expressed his desire for at least one rainy race this season. After completing the session with the fastest time, ahead of championship leader Jorge Martin, he cautioned that the track was extremely slick.

Pramac Ducati's Martin increased his lead over Francesco Bagnaia to 22 points by securing second place in the Sprint race, finishing just behind Enea Bastianini.

In the rainy weather, Luca Marini took advantage of the conditions to significantly improve his position, securing third place for Repsol Honda. He was trailed by Franco Morbidelli from Pramac and KTM riders Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller.

Maverick Vinales was the top Aprilia rider, finishing in seventh place, with Marco Bezzecchi coming next and the current two-time champion, Bagnaia, following them.

Brad Binder secured the 16th spot, while Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo ended up in 17th place. Sprint race victor Bastianini found himself in 18th position, as all three riders struggled with the wet conditions, pushing them further down the leaderboard.

This morning, Augusto Fernandez from Tech3 was the sole rider to experience a fall.

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Brad Binder expressed, "I struggle to complete a lap without the front end giving way."

"Whenever I attempted to speed up to clock a faster lap, I consistently found myself losing grip at the front."

Brad Binder discussed his challenges and possibilities at the Buriram circuit on Friday.

Binder ranked 11th in the time standings during Friday's practice session for the Thailand MotoGP.

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Despite facing a significant issue during his sessions, the KTM rider identified notable improvements for Saturday.

"Everything was fine until I tried to improve my lap time, then I consistently lost control at the front," Binder explained.

"That was incredibly challenging…"

"I'm satisfied with my target lap time, but I struggle to complete a lap without the front end giving out."

"We have to come up with a solution to ensure it lasts."

"Achieving that would definitely simplify my life."

Beyond that, all was functioning well. Riding the bike gave me a positive feeling.

As soon as we fitted a new tire and attempted a fast lap, it's challenging to avoid understeering.

"There's a task at hand, and overcoming it could lead us to greatness."

Binder fell just a thousandth of a second short of making it into the prestigious top 10 with his fastest lap.

"I completed that lap while catching up to the front about three times… it adds to the frustration," he mentioned.

"The positive aspect? If I manage to combine everything effectively, I become swift."

"Thus, it might have been more severe."

"The abrupt deceleration is flawless. However, as I approach the limit, I begin to tumble, and the front slides away.

"That's the area I need to work on enhancing."

"We've made some adjustments, yet we haven't discovered the perfect arrangement. I need to discuss this with my team."

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Marc Marquez leads the pack – yet he anticipates competitors will soon match his pace

Marc Marquez predicts competing Ducatis will surpass him in the Thailand MotoGP

Marc Marquez believes that his Ducati rivals will close the gap during the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix as the weekend progresses, despite setting a new lap record in Friday's practice session.

The Gresini competitor was at the forefront following the second practice, clocking a time of 1 minute and 29.165 seconds on his GP25, placing him 0.110 seconds ahead of the championship frontrunner Jorge Martin, who came in second.

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Marquez arrives in Thailand following a win in Australia and securing victories in three of the past six Grand Prix events.

Over an extended period, Marquez is of the opinion that Martin has a quicker pace than he does, and with Enea Bastianini's strong start to the weekend, it suggests the Italian will also be a major contender in the battle for victory.

"Absolutely, I'm pleased since initiating the weekend on such a note is crucial," he shared with the press, among them Crash.net, on Friday.

"Indeed, the speed is satisfactory. It's not as rapid as it is in Australia."

"I believe Martin has a speed advantage over us. If Bastianini shows speed from Friday, it indicates he'll maintain a high pace throughout the weekend. However, we'll see how we can compete."

In response to whether the rest will catch up, he further stated, "It's bound to occur."

"Particularly, I possess that capability or that edge, at the start, I'm performing exceptionally well, quite rapidly, but then I find myself there."

"Gradually, the rest are making their entrance. Take Bastianini, for example; he's entirely distinct from me."

"He faces significant challenges but manages to recover. We'll explore our options further tomorrow."

"At the start of the season, I consistently faced difficulties on Fridays, but then I found significant ways to progress throughout the weekend."

"Now, by Friday, I've established a solid foundation and am performing well, so the approach to enhancement remains consistent."

"Enhancing my lap time in tomorrow's practice will be a challenge for me, as it currently stands as a lap record. If I manage to hit a 1m29.1s once more, I'd happily commit to that right away."

For tomorrow's race, Marquez is aiming to enhance the top speed of his GP23, as he's falling behind in lap times due to the lengthy stretches following Turns 1 and 3.

"What areas do I aim to enhance? Certainly, you always strive to identify the minor details."

"However, the instances where I find myself facing greater challenges or experiencing more losses are primarily with T1 and T2."

"However, the main issue lies in the long straight stretches. That's where we're falling slightly behind. Tomorrow, we plan to install a new engine and hopefully, that will give us a bit of a speed boost."

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Experimentation setback for Pecco Bagnaia during Thailand practice session

However, the MotoGP titleholder maintains that Buriram was one of his top Friday performances in 2024

Francesco Bagnaia from Ducati described Friday's performance at the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix as one of his top performances in 2024, even though the team's setup trials in the afternoon session didn't yield the desired results.

The current two-time world champion is trailing Jorge Martin by 20 points in the championship standings as they head to Buriram. During the hour-long practice session on Friday, he seemed to struggle to find his rhythm.

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Nonetheless, Bagnaia successfully clinched a position in Q2, finishing fourth, yet he was behind his Ducati colleague Enea Bastianini, Martin, and Marc Marquez in the rankings.

He subsequently informed the press, Crash.net among them, that his lackluster performance in the second practice session stemmed from difficulties in adjusting to changes in the set-up.

"When asked if this was an improved Friday, he confirmed, attributing it to overcoming a minor issue with one of the two motorcycles during the sessions. 'For me, definitely, especially in terms of the satisfaction we felt after wrapping up,' he explained."

"This morning, I was in high spirits, but by the afternoon, when it was time to experiment with a new configuration, the motorcycle just wasn't performing properly."

"Therefore, I had no choice but to halt and slightly adjust the configuration of the other motorcycle, though it proved to be unfeasible."

"I found the adjustment challenging and it wasn't going smoothly."

"Thus, we made another adjustment prior to the time trial, and I regained my confidence as we reverted back."

"I was prepared for the time trial, and even without clocking an exact lap time, I managed to be quick. Therefore, it was a successful Friday."

Multiple competitors found braking challenging at Buriram on Friday, yet Bagnaia reports no such difficulties in that aspect.

"He further stated that it doesn't pose a problem for him."

"I have the capability to apply the brakes with significant force, as evidenced by the lap time data we just reviewed, showing my intensive braking."

"This doesn't pose an issue for me. My main challenge is in turn four, significantly so, and my performance in sector three, particularly turns six and seven, wasn't up to par."

"However, aside from that issue, there are currently no problems with braking."

As the championship edges closer to its finale, Bagnaia maintains that his strategy for practice sessions has remained consistent throughout the season, despite the increasing stakes in every round.

"For me, it's consistent with the rest of the season," he mentioned.

"Throughout the race weekend, my focus is solely on preparing diligently to ensure optimal performance for the race."

"At the moment, I'm not experiencing any change in how I feel from earlier. There could be some changes later on, but as of now, there's no difference."

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Jorge Martin reignites debate: "Their concern for crashing is minimal…"

Jorge Martin finds competing against Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez "challenging"

Jorge Martin has reignited discussions about Enea Bastianini's contentious move during the Misano race.

Bastianini overtook Martin in the last lap to clinch victory at the Emilia-Romagna MotoGP, significantly impacting the Pramac rider's championship aspirations.

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The officials decided it didn't merit any disciplinary action, yet, weeks after the incident, Martin remains upset.

"Martin expressed after Friday's practice session at the Thailand MotoGP that the maneuver at Misano was a mistake. He insisted that the five points rightfully belonged to him."

"He veered off course and unexpectedly collided with me."

Last week in Australia, Martin was surpassed in the race as Marc Marquez moved ahead to win.

"Martin considered Marc's action to be bold, without a doubt," he said. "However, since there was no physical contact, I think it's acceptable."

"He skillfully made his moves and executed a remarkable run."

Martin holds a slim lead of just 20 points over Pecco Bagnaia, who is currently in second place in the MotoGP standings.

With this weekend's event in Thailand, just three rounds are left.

Martin acknowledges that Bastianini or Marquez might influence the outcome, even though their chances for the championship have disappeared.

"Competing against individuals like Enea or Marc makes it challenging from where I stand," he explained.

"Overcoming them is challenging since they have little to nothing at stake."

"They're indifferent to the possibility of a collision."

Feeling anxious, Marquez topped the speed charts in Thailand on Friday, outpacing Martin, Bastianini, and Bagnaia.

This implies that the Ducati quartet has no commitments and is free to engage in activities on both Saturday and

"Martin confessed, "Feeling competitive brings me joy. This week, I experienced some nerves."

In my thoughts, I was preparing myself for what lay ahead.

"However, the moment I stepped onto the track and everything proceeded smoothly, my fears disappeared."

"Pecco and Marc are formidable opponents as well, so this weekend will present a tough challenge, but I'm ready to compete."

He mentioned regarding his training session, "I was feeling vigorous, however, when I switched to the hard compound, it became more challenging."

"Additionally, it was actually utilized for 22 laps. I found it challenging to maintain the same speed."

However, I sense that I'm

"In this place? Given the opportunity, I intend to distance myself. No one else will stand a chance.

"We'll find out whether we approach the final turn alongside Marc or another competitor."

"Every weekend is crucial. My priority is to concentrate on my own performance. Should the opportunity arise to score points, I'll seize it."

"Otherwise, if Pecco demonstrates strength, my aim will be to minimize any losses as much as I can."

"I'm not going to let scores bother me. It's pointless. My focus is on being quick and competitive."

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Jack Miller expressed a preference for outperforming Martin in a race rather than in a contest of stoppies, highlighting, "I would rather surpass Martin on the circuit than in any stoppie contest!" He added, "We're showing good speed, however, it feels like we're taking a more circuitous route once more."

MotoGP championship frontrunner Jorge Martin executed a series of remarkable stoppie maneuvers into the pit lane en route to securing a second-place finish in Friday's practice session for the Thai Grand Prix.

Jack Miller stepped up to the occasion, earning a nod of approval from Martin when the Australian overtook the Pramac competitor, his KTM nearly flipping forward on its front wheel at the session's close.

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"After witnessing Martin's performance, I felt compelled to step up my game… It would be great to outdo him on the racecourse rather than in a contest of stoppies!" Miller said with a smile later on.

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The Australian was leading Martin in fifth position when the time trials started.

As Martin ascended the ranks with new tires, a disheartened Miller fell to 13th place, narrowly missing the top ten and an automatic spot in Qualifying 2 by a mere 0.155 seconds.

"Miller described it as the narrative of the past half-year," he remarked. "The speed was solid, maintaining consistency on the medium tire from the session's start. After putting in some laps, it felt natural."

"My initial couple of attempts at the time trial went well, but during the final run, I couldn't manage to perform at my best. There were too many instances of struggle, particularly in the track's central section."

"I'm experiencing understeer at Turn 5, which then persists into Turn 6 and Turn 7, and reoccurs at Turn 8."

"Whenever I attempt to accelerate, I find it incredibly difficult to complete the turn. I'm forced to depend on manipulating the rear tyre during a fast lap to make it pivot halfway through the corner."

"We'll work on improving it throughout the night and aim to present an enhanced solution by tomorrow."

"The speed is impressive; however, in today's MotoGP, securing a good qualifying spot is key, and it seems we're taking an indirect approach to achieve that once more."

As he approaches the end of his time with factory KTM, Miller believes he has made significant progress in the latest races.

"Attempting to navigate through the challenges I'm facing. The other pair, Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta, are equipped with the latest chassis, while we aren't. Thus, we're simply doing our utmost with the resources available to us."

"I'm putting effort into improving my horseback riding skills, concentrating on how to use my body to navigate and soften the impact of the uneven terrain, aiming to make it seamless. We're committed to persevering until the final moment."

The encouraging update regarding #43 is that the significant vibration observed on video at Motegi hasn't been an issue up to this point at Buriram.

"Just a slight issue in Turn 4, but nothing major," he mentioned.

Before captivating the audience with a stoppie later in the day, earlier Miller had thrilled spectators by performing a rolling burnout along the main straightaway. This came after a mishap during a practice start in the morning, where he kept the throttle engaged.

"Miller shared that their goal was to experiment with the '110' [holeshot] mechanism. He openly expressed his lack of enthusiasm for the 110 device, noting that the moment the bike's front is lowered, the rear begins to lose traction almost right away."

"I smoothly started accelerating, but the moment I eased off the clutch, the back tire just spun out of control. Then, I just kept it going for the audience, knowing well I wasn't going to use that one again!"

Pedro Acosta, who finished seventh, stood out as the sole KTM competitor to earn a direct spot in Qualifying 2, with Binder narrowly failing to grab the tenth spot by a mere 0.001 seconds.

Augusto Fernandez finished in 20th place, closely trailing the quickest rider, Marc Marquez from Gresini Ducati, by just 1.3 seconds.

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Luca Marini provides an in-depth analysis of Honda's recent success and persistent challenges.

Luca Marini was excited to observe another Honda rider among the top 10 on Friday in Thailand, but he's keeping his expectations in check.

Johann Zarco secured the 10th quickest time during the Thailand MotoGP practice sessions, marking yet another incremental progress for the gradually advancing Honda team.

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Honda team member Marini finished in 17th place and provided an in-depth breakdown of the adjustments being made to their setup.

"Here, we opted for an alternative middle ground regarding the setting," Marini explained.

"We aimed to chart a course for the upcoming year by focusing on the distribution of weight, with an emphasis on increasing the load at the back. Our goal was to enhance the performance of the rear tyre."

Currently, it is the most notable absence.

"During the initial lap, I heat up the tire, but its performance decreases as the race progresses. Our performance is odd when you compare us to teams like Aprilia, KTM, and Ducati. We stand apart."

"Our aim is to comprehend and enhance this."

"There are advantages. It enhances the bike's braking performance, potentially improving grip. However, I must focus on fine-tuning the settings and achieving better balance."

"From my perspective, there's room for me to enhance my riding skills. I've stuck to one approach throughout the year, but now we've moved past that. As a rider, I believe I can perform at a higher level."

Marini commented on Zarco's performance, noting that he ended Friday as the tenth quickest. "His lap was incredible, but he pushed the boundaries. At each turn, he took risks and utilized the slipstream."

It's essential to enhance the bike's efficiency since it's possible to accomplish a lap with it.

"Yet, when it comes to a competition? Unthinkable.

"It's a positive indication that we've taken a step forward."

Marini is confident that he has tackled a problem that has historically plagued Honda.

"He mentioned that, especially in the sharp turns, they see significant advantages."

"Possibly because I'm a cyclist who enjoys quick turns."

"Additionally, we made significant progress with the fairing."

"At Misano, my performance was among the best. Critics often mention 'Honda's consistent struggles over the years,' yet this occasion marked our first instance of excelling at that venue.

"However, we've faced defeats in situations that require abrupt starts and stops. Currently, the motorcycle fails to come to a halt, particularly due to the rear tire."

"Under intense braking scenarios, our performance isn't meeting the standards required to rival other motorcycles."

Marini has access to a new exhaust for the Buriram race, but he's not getting overly enthusiastic about it.

"He mentioned he had attempted using the exhaust on numerous occasions before."

"Personally, I believe the original version is superior."

"This muffler was designed to address a specific issue. We need to examine the motorcycle to determine which muffler should be utilized tomorrow."

"However, my experiences have led me to favor the traditional option whenever I've attempted the alternative."

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Alex Rins: 'I'm determined to switch back to the frame Fabio is using'

"I shared the track with Fabio… He was performing impressively, and the disparity is obvious. I'm struggling to bring the bike to a halt."

Alex Rins plans to switch back to the same Yamaha frame as his teammate Fabio Quartararo following difficulties with hard braking zones in Friday's practice session for the Thai MotoGP.

Quartararo momentarily led the afternoon practice but remained in the leading trio until the final time trials started. At this point, his consistent struggle to fully utilize new tires on the M1 resulted in him dropping to 12th place, trailing by 0.591 seconds.

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However, Rins struggled with his position during the race and finished in 18th place, narrowly missing Quartararo's time by just under half a second.

"It was a challenging day," Rins remarked. "The start of the day wasn't too rough. I felt alright, especially since I didn't race here last year.

"However, the later part of the day proved to be quite challenging. We began with a soft front tyre, and I faced significant difficulties due to the extremely high track temperatures.

"We switched to the hard front tire, the same one we utilized during the first free practice, and it significantly improved my confidence and feeling. However, the gap remained considerable. Essentially, switching to the hard front tire didn’t enhance my time by 0.5-0.6 seconds."

Rins subsequently shadowed Quartararo during a speed trial, highlighting his problems with braking.

"During the timed trials, I found them extremely challenging. I accompanied Fabio on my second tire stint. He was performing impressively, highlighting the disparity," Rins mentioned. "I'm struggling to halt the motorcycle. I consistently overshoot my mark during every braking maneuver, especially in turns 1 and 3.

"I have a sense that my main issue is with the front end," he shared. "Take Corner 3, as an instance, my braking point is identical to Fabio's. I mention Fabio specifically because he's my sole direct comparison on the Yamaha."

"In comparison to him, we both apply the brakes at the same spot, but I experience significant jolts at the front, such as locking up and bumping. This has been a recurring issue for several races."

In response to inquiries about whether technical variations in the M1s could explain the differences in braking performance, Rins disclosed that he had reverted to the 'standard' chassis.

"Rins stated, 'Our chassis is distinct. At Phillip Island, we chose to revert to the standard model since it's the one I've completed the most races on.'"

"Fabio's alteration, along with the frame I utilized for a couple of races prior, didn't give me a poor impression. However, since I'm more acquainted with the alternative, we chose to revert to it."

"Definitely, by [Saturday], I aim to switch back to the same chassis Fabio is using, the one they provided us in Misano, so we can at least have comparable motorcycles."

"I'm not interested in mirroring Fabio's configuration since our approaches to riding diverge significantly. That's obvious. However, the bikes will be of a comparable level in terms of specifications."

Rins verified that he had once again tested the most recent edition of Yamaha's 'automatic' ride-height system, similar to Ducati's, which is engaged by pressing a button as he approaches a turn and then reduces its height upon leaving the corner.

"I experimented with it extensively during FP1. It performed well, yet I find myself preferring the 'manual' version," he mentioned.

To put it differently, Rins continues to favor having complete autonomy over deciding the moment to lower the back end during the exit.

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