Jorge Martin’s Heart-Stopping Moment in Japan MotoGP: A Near Miss in Victory Chase

Jorge Martin admits to intense fear following a close call during the Japan MotoGP race

Jorge Martin shares harrowing experience at Motegi

Jorge Martin reveals he had to abandon his final push for victory at the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix due to an incident at Turn 3 that left him extremely frightened.

Starting from 11th position, the Pramac competitor managed to climb up to second place within the initial three laps of Sunday’s grand prix held at Motegi, subsequently challenging Francesco Bagnaia, who went on to win the race.

In the final moments of the race, Martin reduced Bagnaia's lead to less than a second and seemed to be quicker than the Ducati team racer, before calling off his pursuit.

After the race, Martin mentioned that a significant fright towards the end caused him to slow down to ensure he gained 20 points, thereby minimizing the impact Bagnaia had on his lead.

"Definitely, as I was narrowing the distance, I believed I could execute the maneuver," he remarked.

"I noticed Pecco was applying pressure, as he made several errors in turn 11.

Therefore, I agreed, acknowledging his intense effort. Thus, I proposed, "Alright, let's give it our all." And everything remained manageable.

"I was really pushing the boundaries, yet still managing. However, I significantly lost grip on the front tire at the third turn.

"I managed to save it using my elbow. After that, I was delayed by about two seconds, and I was truly panicking. I told myself, ‘Alright, that’s enough’."

"Definitely, when considering strategies for winning the championship, it's important to consider these 20 points beginning from the 11th position."

"Now, enhancing our performance in qualifiers is crucial for better qualifications because being ahead allows me to lead and manage the races effectively."

Martin expressed, "To me, it doesn't feel like a win. As a rider, my aim is always to be in contention for the victory."

"Starting from behind made it challenging to pass the other competitors. I believe I ended up using slightly more tire than Pecco in the process."

"I began narrowing the distance, yet once I was within half a second, handling the bike became significantly challenging."

Halting the bicycle proved challenging. With 10 laps remaining, I thought, 'Alright, let's give this another shot, time to push forward'. I noticed Pecco was having some trouble with braking, which led me to increase my efforts significantly.

"With three laps remaining, I experienced a significant moment at the third turn, where I realized, 'Jorge, it's time to call it quits and end with 20 points'."

"Pecco demonstrated remarkable strength; his skill in tyre management is unparalleled, leading to an outstanding performance."

"Starting from the fourth row and securing second place gives me a lot of confidence, especially heading into Australia, which is a track I really enjoy."

Martin maintains a lead of 10 points in the championship standings as he heads into the upcoming race in Australia, and he feels that he is in a “stronger” position now compared to his status at this point in the season last year.

"Definitely, the final push to the finish," he summed up.

"It's going to be challenging, Pecco is an incredible competitor. However, I'm thankful for the opportunity to be here, thankful for the chance to compete as we did last year.

"However, I sense an increase in my strength. Therefore, let's pursue it. In certain competitions, I believe I have a slight edge, while in others, Pecco seems to have the advantage."

"The goal is to make it to Valencia with an opportunity to secure a victory."

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