believes it’s potential he might have taken the battle to if he had been racing a Ducati within the 2025 MotoGP season.
Martin went from feeling on high of the world when he was topped MotoGP champion in November 2024 to dealing with a real nightmare defending the crown this 12 months, with 4 accidents and the identical variety of surgical procedures leaving him on the sidelines for main chunks of the season.
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The Spaniard, who left Pramac Ducati to affix Aprilia in 2025, was solely capable of begin eight race weekends, participate in seven grands prix and cross the end line in 4 of them in a bruising season.
Martin first obtained a setback when he fractured his foot and hand at the beginning of pre-season testing in Sepang in February. When he was prepared to start out his marketing campaign correctly on the season opener in Thailand, he was injured once more whereas testing his power on a supermoto bike.
After lacking the primary three races of the season, he lastly returned to motion in Qatar, however picked up his third damage of 2025 after being run over by one other rider.
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It was absolutely his worst damage and the one which affected him essentially the most this season. Because of this, he was out for seven grands prix, returning on the finish of July on the Czech Republic GP, as soon as the primary half of the season was already over.
After 5 successive appearances, he crashed at the beginning of the dash race in Japan and obtained injured once more, lacking the complete Asian-Oceania tour because of this.
The Spaniard reappeared on the closing spherical of the season in Valencia, the place he retired feeling the results of inactivity and, above all, to save lots of power for the post-race check.
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“I’m one of many 5 reference riders in MotoGP”Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Staff, Marc Marquez, Ducati Staff
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Staff, Marc Marquez, Ducati Staff
In Misano, simply earlier than the Japanese GP, Motorsport.com was capable of converse to Martin in a wide-ranging interview. One subject mentioned was the way it feels for his ego to go from being on the high of the world to fading out of the media highlight and barely being talked about.
“It hasn’t affected me in any respect, I really feel like I’m at all times within the highlight. I at all times say it, for one cause or one other, I’m at all times in every single place, whether or not it’s the interview on El Hormiguero, or La Resistencia, or [about] Aprilia, or I get injured, or I come again…,” he mentioned.
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“I really feel that I’m one of many reference riders, along with Marc [Marquez], Fabio [Quartararo], Pecco [Bagnaia] and Pedro [Acosta]. The 5 of us are the riders who’re at all times there.
“I hope to maintain being there, however not out of ego— I don’t care whether or not individuals discuss me or not — however I really feel that it’s that manner. We [the five of us] are type of the spearhead.”
When Ducati selected Marquez for the manufacturing facility crew in June 2024, it supplied Martin the prospect to remain at Pramac with equivalent equipment to the #93. However he turned it down and went to Aprilia as a substitute.
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It’s purely hypothetical to surprise what may need occurred if he had stayed on a Desmosedici GP, but it surely’s potential the season might have performed out in a different way.
Requested if he might have fought the Marquez brothers for the title if he have been racing a factory-spec Ducati at Pramac in 2025, he mentioned: “We’ll by no means know. However ’s season and searching on the race occasions this 12 months in comparison with these of 2024, I believe I might have fought.
“Clearly, I’d have given 100%, and I believe that 100% would have been sufficient to battle — I’m not saying to beat Marc, as a result of that’s unattainable to know now, perhaps we’ll know later. As a result of what Marc has carried out this 12 months is one thing outrageous.
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“However I contemplate myself sturdy and I believe that, retaining the identical bike for an additional 12 months and with extra expertise, I might positively have fought. However that’s one thing we’ll by no means know.”
“From a media standpoint, what Marc says carries plenty of weight”Podium: Worldchampion Marc Marquez, Ducati Staff
Podium: Worldchampion Marc Marquez, Ducati Staff
Marquez has been practically unbeatable on observe this 12 months, and he additionally has the largest following on social media, the place Martin’s earlier reply will certainly spark reactions from the Catalan’s legion of followers.
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“On social media, I don’t know, as a result of I don’t actually take a look at the opposite riders’ accounts,” he mentioned. “Actually, I’ve lots of them muted as a result of I don’t really feel like seeing their posts.
“However Marc is a more durable rival on observe — he’s a aggressive beast and he at all times tries to beat you, even when it means risking crashing and shedding the championship. He’ll at all times attempt to win the race.
“From a media standpoint, what Marc says at all times carries plenty of weight and plenty of energy. He has lots of people behind him who help him. However greater than his power on social media, it’s how what he says can have an effect on you in a press convention. To battle towards the perfect Marc, it’s a must to be very effectively ready.
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“However I’ll additionally let you know that the perfect Marc goes to make me a greater rider, as a result of the higher he’s, the higher I’m going to should be, as a result of I’ll be following in his footsteps and studying from him. So hopefully we are able to battle sooner or later.”
Martin is satisfied that his unhealthy luck this 12 months was not as a result of #1 on the entrance of his bike and is assured that he’ll be capable of win a title once more.
“I’ll put on [#1] once more. Ultimately, I’ll put on it once more,” he mentioned.
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