Jorge Martin Nervously Secures Victory Despite Marc Marquez’s Late Surge at MotoGP Australian Grand Prix Sprint

Jorge Martin Admits Concern Over Marc Marquez's Final Push in Australia

"He might have been the one capable of reaching me"

Jorge Martin, the victor of the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix sprint, confessed that the intense challenge Marc Marquez posed during the latter part of Saturday's race left him feeling somewhat apprehensive.

The Pramac competitor took control during the qualifying rounds, securing the pole position in front of Marquez, and successfully maintained the lead from the start of the sprint race, as Marquez veered off course at Turn 1.

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Marquez fell to eighth position as Martin rapidly advanced, creating a nearly one-second lead in the initial lap. This advantage expanded to 3.2 seconds by the eighth lap out of 13, when the Gresini racer moved up to second place.

Despite Martin taking the lead and finishing 1.520 seconds ahead of Marquez at the finish line, he acknowledged he remained cautious of the challenge that the eight-time world champion posed.

Martin expressed his elation, saying, "It’s the same joy as the previous season, only intensified," as he revealed to TNT Sport, with his championship lead having expanded to 16 points.

"Definitely, at this moment, Marc matched my speed, but he faced some misfortune at the race's start."

"Therefore, I believe tomorrow will pose a challenge. However, for today, my focus is on savoring the moment. I'm feeling quite positive. Undoubtedly, during the initial laps, it was challenging to establish this lead over [Marco] Bezzecchi."

"As soon as Pecco [Bagnaia] advanced to second place, I found myself able to significantly increase the lead. Then, once I reached a 3.5-second advantage, I thought, 'Alright, that's sufficient, time to ease off a bit'."

"The victory was quite challenging as well. The conditions were highly variable, making each turn distinctly unique."

"Therefore, it's essential to adjust swiftly. However, I'm incredibly pleased and we'll aim to be prepared by tomorrow."

"Definitely, when Marc moved up to second place, I was ahead by three seconds, but then I increased my effort and extended my lead to 3.5 seconds."

"Then I declared, 'Alright, that's sufficient.' I felt somewhat apprehensive regarding Marc since there were still three laps, three seconds left, and perhaps he was the one who could overtake me.

"However, I managed to boost it, so from then on, my focus was simply on reaching the finish line."

The majority of the competitors, Martin among them, opted for the soft rear tyre during the sprint. However, Martin is uncertain about its suitability for the grand prix, citing insufficient data from extended runs.

"It's hard to determine," Martin responded when inquired whether he intended to opt for the soft option on Sunday.

"Definitely, today was a good day. During the final laps, I already started to feel the decline."

"Well, it's uncertain. We couldn't fit in a trial of the medium, so perhaps the warm-up session tomorrow will play a crucial role."

"It's a challenging inquiry, a significant uncertainty. However, Ducati undoubtedly possesses skilled engineers capable of assisting us in making the decision."

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