Neil Hodgson says ‘class act’ MotoGP rider would never push a team member like Jorge Martin

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Neil Hodgson believes one rider at the Catalan Grand Prix earned a lot of respect for the way he carried himself, unlike Jorge Martin.

Martin shoved Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora in a moment of frustration after his crash with Raul Fernandez cost him an opportunity to take the lead in the championship battle.

This crash paved the way for his teammate, Marco Bezzecchi, to extend his lead atop the championship standings with a fourth-place finish.

While Martin’s frustration was understandable, his shoving a senior team official like he did earned him a lot of criticism.

In contrast to Jorge Martin’s furious antics, Fabio Di Giannantonio received acclaim for not only his winning performance at the Catalan Grand Prix but also for how he handled the tragic events prior to his win.

READ MORE: Massimo Rivola slammed for his behaviour after Jorge Martin’s Catalan Grand Prix crash

Neil Hodgson takes a dig at Jorge Martin shoving Aprilia chief while praising ‘wonderful’ Fabio Di Giannantonio

Speaking on the Gas It Out podcast, Neil Hodgson had kind words for Fabio Di Giannantonio for how he shifted the focus from his Catalan Grand Prix to the riders who injured themselves in horrific crashes.

In his praise for Di Giannantonio, Hodgson took aim at Jorge Martin, suggesting that Diggia would never shove his team boss like the Spanish rider did over the weekend.

“He’s a class act on and off the bike. Even his interview after winning only his second MotoGP race, he was talking more about the injured riders, paying them the respect they deserved.

“What a wonderful human being he is. He’s just so well-rounded. You’re never going to see Diggia walk into his garage and push a mechanic or a team manager around.

“You said he’s been slightly overshadowed by the controversy. A win is a win. I’ll take 25 points and the bonus money, the kudos, and his stock value. He’s not a flash in the pan. He’s been clearly the best Ducati rider.”

READ MORE: Jorge Martin wants Aprilia to impose rules on Trackhouse so they don’t interfere with title fight

Jorge Martin’s moment of frustration may have reminded Aprilia why they’re better off without him

Even though Martin promptly apologised for the situation with Bonora in the garage, it became clear that his attitude issues from the past have not gone away.

And despite Massimo Rivola going to bat for Martin against Trackhouse, the 2024 MotoGP world champion looked to take his frustration out on the team, even though they weren’t at fault for what happened.

Any talk of Aprilia trying to get Martin to stay next year has seemingly died down after the incident, perhaps suggesting the top brass have soured on him in the aftermath of the situation.

It could also be because of Martin’s frightening crash at Barcelona on Monday, shifting the priority to his health entirely.

Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that Martin did a lot of damage to his reputation as a rider with his actions over the weekend.