Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin secured his maiden MotoGP title in 2024. He became the first independent team rider to win the championship as he came out on top with Pramac Racing.
The Spaniard edged out the factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia after a tense battle for the title. Martin sealed the deal at his home event at the Solidarity Grand Prix in Barcelona.
The 26-year-old got redemption over his Italian rival after he missed out on the championship in 2023 by 39 points. The defeat was hard to take for Martin, especially considering he lost the title in the final two races.
Martin was determined to put 2023 behind him and focus his attention on beating Bagnaia in 2024. Sure enough, the Spaniard would get the better of him and there was one race in particular he should his mental strength.
Gino Borsoi says Jorge Martin should he was ‘stronger mentally’ after impressive performance at Motegi
It was not a smooth sailing season for the Pramac rider as crucial mistakes at Jerez and the Sachsenring blew the championship wide open. Cristian Battaglia was left baffled by Martin’s crash in Germany, stating he cannot fight for the title if he makes mistakes like that.
Fortunately, his rival Bagnaia was mistake-prone too, with three retirements and several poor race starts damaging his title hopes. Bagnaia even thought about his mistakes on his honeymoon as he could not stop thinking about his title defeat.
Heading into the Japanese Grand Prix, Bagnaia was 15 points behind Martin in the standings. The Ducati rider was given a perfect opportunity to take control as he lined up second, while the Spaniard started down in 11th.
Bagnaia won the Sprint and the Grand Prix at Motegi but his rival ensured he stayed ahead in the championship. Martin climbed to fourth in the Sprint and went even better on Sunday as he produced a stunning race to finish second.
READ MORE: Jorge Martin said five words to Aleix Espargaro after he lost out on Ducati MotoGP seat
After the race, Pramac team manager Gino Borsoi told Martin he showed he was ‘stronger mentally’. Appearing on episode four of MotoGP’s documentary series There Can Be Only One, he expressed he had full belief in his rider to win the title.
“Jorge this race, has made you stronger mentally”, said Borsoi. Martin told him how nervous he was: “I was very scared before the race. I was very nervous,” to which the team manager replied: “You looked white.
“It’s normal when you are leading. I always tell you when you are doing well. I believe in you. I have no doubts.”
The Spaniard then looked ahead to the upcoming races: “We are strong in Australia. We are strong in Thailand”, and Borsoi told Martin: “This race will be very useful for the end”.
Can Jorge Martin defend his title with Aprilia in 2025?
Martin will embark on a new challenge in 2025 as he becomes a factory rider for the first time in MotoGP. However, it is not with Ducati after he was snubbed of the second seat next to Bagnaia by Marc Marquez.
Martin reacted with ‘calmness’ to the news as he subsequently joined Aprilia for 2025 alongside Marco Bezzecchi. Given that he is on the third-fastest bike, it seems unlikely that the 26-year-old will defend his title.
But there will be pressure for the Spaianrd to do so as Martin will sport the number one on his bike, swapping out his traditional number 89. Aprilia may have paid Martin extra to have the number one displayed on their 2025 challenger.
Ducati won all but one race in 2024 – with Maverick Vinales claiming victory for Aprilia in Austin. The Noale-based outfit are capable of winning races, but Martin is focusing his attention on 2026 for a title challenge with the team.
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