The results achieved in his first debut season in MotoGP riding the Pramac team’s Ducati had fully convinced the executives of the Italian brand that it was the Spaniard Jorge Martín who would occupy the place of Pecco Bagnaia’s partner, in the formation of factory, in 2023.
However, a very rough start to the course and the high performance of Enea Bastianini, the other contender for the position, with the 2021 Gresini Racing bike, have opened a debate that, according to Paolo Ciabatti, the team’s sports director, will be closed in Mugello, in two weeks, which is when, in principle, the final decision will be made.
At Ducati they are waiting for a good result from Jorge that guarantees the promotion, although they don’t feel they have to justify it. The problem is that before the weekend in Italy, the home race for the home of Bologna, there is only one race, the one that takes place this Sunday at Le Mans, a track in which Martín has never scored and where this weekend he has not been able to qualify as usual, on the front row of the grid. The Madrilenian will finally start 8th on the grid (gaining a position due to the sanction against Johann Zarco, who goes from 6th to 9th), so he will have to make one of his brilliant starts to get out of the traffic ahead.
Martín was unable to make a good qualifying because after going out on track in Q2 he had to return to the garage with a technical problem.
“The rear height adjustment device was left active on my second start and it’s a shame because I think I had the pace to do a fast lap and get on the front row of the grid,” Martin told Motorsport.com on Saturday afternoon. .
“But I’m happy because I have good sensations and feeling again, I can shoot alone and things work out for me”, added the man from Madrid.
“In FP4 I found a good rhythm, I think I’m among the top three in that, and if the race is dry I look competitive and I can have a good race, I feel like racing”.
The speed that the pilots are reaching this weekend on one lap is being hellish, beating the record practically in each session.
“In the morning I turned in 1.30.8, I never would have imagined it, but the track was in very good condition, even in the heat it goes fast. MotoGP is getting more and more complicated”.
The one who seems to be getting stronger after a start to the course with many doubts is Bagnaia, who will start from pole.
“I think he has found a good base that works for him. The truth is that I have tried a new thing on the rear very similar to the one he has on his bike and I liked it a lot, in the rhythm of F3 and F4 I am like him, the only one who is a little higher is Fabio Quartararo , but the Ducati is working again and that’s good. Pecco never left, he just needed to find a good base.”
“If it’s dry I see Fabio very strong, he has something else, and Pecco also has a very good pace. But I don’t see myself that far away, I think I can fight for the podium or the top five and that should be the goal”, a podium that could open the doors of the official Ducati garage.
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: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
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
