While Jorge Martín maintains a very positive line of results in the last four races, his rival to be in the Italian factory box next year, Enea Bastianini, is going through a kind of crisis, going from leading the championship after the first five races of the course, to now be fifth overall, 67 points behind the leader, Fabio Quartararo.
Despite the pothole the Italian is going through, Gresini’s is still ahead of Pramac’s in the general standings separated by 35 points, although in the last four races, since the French Grand Prix , Martín has 42 points, for only 11 of Enea.
Ducati set the end of the summer as the deadline to make public (the decision is made) which of the two riders will be Pecco Bagnaia’s teammate next year. “Jorge faced the season with a new bike, he had to test many parts and also suffered falls that caused him injuries. We must give him an opportunity to show his potential, as Enea had from the beginning with a bike (the 2021) that was already working “, explained Paolo Ciabatti to justify the delay in announcing the decision.
Martín has been able to take advantage of the extra time granted by the Bologna factory and since the end of May he has been clearly superior in terms of performance, finishing in Mugello, Barcelona, Sachsenring and Assen ahead of his rival in races, and also in the last three grid classifications, even though he has only achieved one podium, second place in Montmeló, and a front row start, third in Assen. In these same four races, Enea suffered falls (Mugello and Barcelona), a 10th place in Germany and an eleventh in Assen, not getting past Q1 in the last three appointments.
In the last race before the break, Martín had a great opportunity to achieve an excellent result, since he was in a podium position for most of the race. However, the appearance of a light rain in the final part of the race made him lose positions until he finished seventh, Martín acknowledged in a conversation with Motorsport.com .
“The main reason for losing the podium in Assen was the rain, I was very comfortable, I was recovering, at some point, even a little better than the two in front, but when it started to rain a little I didn’t want to fall, I have bad experiences of this season and the past, I have preferred to be conservative, save and not fall. It’s a shame, because the others have continued to shoot and have not had problems, “he explained.
“In any case, I am happy with the speed we had and with the confidence that we have been able to gain in the last four races, especially the last three, always in the top 7, including a podium.”
Better than Bastianini since Le Mans
Martín did not finish five of the first seven races, hitting rock bottom after accumulating three consecutive zeros (Portimao, Jerez, Le Mans), but since then the change has been radically positive.
“After France, which was quite tough, we have always gone up, improving both in speed and confidence and in everything in general,” he said.
“I’m also happy because we’ve been ahead of Enea in the last four races and that’s also important,” added the Spaniard.
“I think that’s important for the future. I’m still 35 points behind him in the general standings, but in terms of performance in recent races we’ve been superior and this is important for Ducati as well,” he stressed.
A change in trend that Martinator hopes to maintain after the holidays.
“Now I have to take advantage of the break to recover 100% physically, because later there are races like Silverstone or Austria that are good for me, and in which we can surely fight for victory”.
The Spaniard underwent surgery on his right hand for a problem in the carpal tunnel on June 6, and what seemed like, on paper, was going to be an instant improvement, has mortified the rider both at the Sachsenring and Assen, where he also it infected his scar and he had to take antibiotics and painkillers.
“During the weekend it bothered me quite a bit, but on Sunday in the race I was able to run without problems taking ‘pain relievers’, now I hope to fully recover for the second part of the season.”
A five-week summer break that the man from Madrid hopes to make the most of.
“I’m going to take a week off to try to disconnect from the bikes and training, and then I’ll dedicate the remaining month to getting one hundred percent,” settled the boy from San Sebastián de los Reyes .
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Dorna
Photo by: Dorna
Foto de: Dorna
Photo by: Dorna
Photo by: Dorna
Photo by: Dorna
