Martín: "I have managed to be competitive from day one"

August 19, 2022

The Spanish rider wants to close the Austrian Grand Prix with a brilliant performance, with victory hopefully, just as he did last year in the first of the two races held at this circuit, his first victory in the largest class.

For Jorge Martín it is crucial to be able to reach the date of August 31, when Ducati will supposedly make the decision of who will accompany Pecco Bagnaia next year in the official team, with a good grade.

“I expected to start well because it is a track that has always been good for me, but last year I ended up winning the race and on the first day I was 17th, so the first days are not usually my forte and this time I have managed to be competitive. from the first moment”, the Pramac-Ducati team rider explained with satisfaction.

“I also felt good with the new layout, in T1 I was the fastest with the new chicane, so I’m very happy”, he added.

Despite being the one who has passed the best on this first day through the new speed reduction zone, Martín believes that it is a point that can be improved in the future.

“It is quite delicate, although it is less dangerous in terms of speed and what can become a fall in that area, you have more risk of ending up on the ground, because it is full of potholes and there are two more curves when before it was almost one. straight. I think it is a point that should be improved for the future”, he valued.

At the end of the day, Martín finished in third position on the time sheet, 29 thousandths behind his teammate Johann Zarco, who was the best, and only 5 thousandths behind Jack Miller, who finished second.

“We have worked a lot for the race and we have improved with used rubber, so I understand that tomorrow we must take another step forward”, was his message

Finally, Martín was asked about the news advanced by Motorsport.com in reference to the sprint races that Dorna will introduce next year.

“I don’t know very well what it is about, I hope they explain it to us in the security commission this Friday. But in a season with 22 races doing two every weekend seems crazy to me. But in the end it’s the same for everyone, although they don’t just have to think about the show, they also have to take into account the work of the mechanics and all the people who are here, which is a lot”.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing