Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin managed to scrape across the line in pursuit of his first MotoGP title in 2024 and it may have been his last chance to do so.
The Spaniard was snubbed for a Ducati ride in favour of six-time champion Marc Marquez ahead of the 2025 season.
It left Martin to sign a deal with rival Italian manufacturer Aprilia, who have never won a MotoGP title and have taken just four victories in their last three seasons.
Last season, the reigning champion had the benefit of riding Ducati’s GP24 bike with satellite outfit Pramac.
Although he only won three of the 20 races on offer, his consistency and knack for second-place finishes kept him in the title hunt until the end of the season.
Francesco Bagnaia made multiple errors which cost him a third consecutive crown, but did push Martin all the way in the process, producing some spectacular racing.
Maria Monfort thought Jorge Martin had ‘lost’ his mind in Francesco Bagnaia battle
One of the highlights of the season was the intense battle between the title protagonists at the penultimate race of the season in Malaysia.
Knowing that he needed Martin to drop points if he wanted to win the title, Bagnaia pushed hard to force a mistake.
They battled hard for multiple laps before Martin realised that backing off from the situation was his best option – allowing the Ducati rider to maintain a two-second gap for the rest of the race.
READ MORE: Jorge Martin once considered retirement after fearing he would ‘never win again’ in MotoGP
Speaking about the battle with his girlfriend, Maria Monfort, she told him that she thought he had lost his mind by engaging with his rival.
“You’ve lost your mind. I was saying ‘Use your head, use your head,” she mentioned on MotoGP’s There Can Only Be One series.
How Jorge Martin stood strong in his 2024 MotoGP battle with Francesco Bagnaia
Martin got stronger in his quest for a MotoGP title at various stages throughout the season, including at the Japanese Grand Prix according to Gino Borsoi, where he developed mentally.
Martin acted with calmness to Ducati’s snub after overseeing recent form to sign Gresini’s Marquez.
It would have been a hit for the reigning champion to kiss goodbye to hopes of riding a development of a bike which won 90% (36/40) races in 2024, but he didn’t let the setback affect his title push.
READ MORE: What Jorge Martin’s manager privately said about Aprilia move at MotoGP launch
If anything, the pressure was ramped up after he realised that he wouldn’t be on their machinery after the end of the season. It became more of a now-or-never situation.
Martin has already noticed one thing on his Aprilia that he didn’t have at Ducati, with more front-end feedback.
The extra confidence from it might even make him quicker and give him a chance to defend his title in 2025.
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