Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin has explained why Marc Marquez will be the ‘man to beat’ at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
This weekend, the 2026 MotoGP season continues with the Hungarian Grand Prix, taking place around the Balaton Park Circuit.
World championship leader Marco Bezzecchi is looking for back-to-back victories after winning last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.
Meanwhile, Martin is looking to cut down the gap between himself and Bezzecchi, which currently stands at 17 points.
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Jorge Martin says Marc Marquez is the ‘man to beat’ at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Martin has claimed that Marquez will be the ‘man to beat’ around the Balaton Park Circuit.
The Aprilia star alluded to the fact that Marquez was on ‘another level’ last season and thinks the seven-time world champion will be in similar form despite his recent injuries.
As reported by Motorsport Espana, Martin said: “I expect him to be here to win.
“Because last year he was on another level, and it’s a track that I think suits his style very well. So, looking at how he did last year, I think he’ll be the man to beat here.
“Even more so than Marco. This is one of the tracks where he can make a difference. We hope to give our all and be able to compete at his level, but we’ll see over the weekend.”
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With Bezzecchi and Martin locked in a title fight, the latter was asked about what he needs to do in order to come out on top.
In response, Martin stated that it is ‘difficult’ to fight against Bezzecchi when the pace is at its ‘maximum’.
The 28-year-old also claimed that he has to improve his qualifying and his overall pace.
Martin explained: “When the pace is at its maximum, it’s difficult to fight directly with him. I have to keep improving in qualifying, in tyre management, which is what I lacked a bit at Mugello.
“Although every track is different, and here tyre management isn’t as important, it’s more about speed. But we’ll certainly have some problems to solve tomorrow.
“I want to work a lot on my pace because here, even though it seems like you can’t overtake, I think it’s a very long race. So there’s time to gain positions.
“Qualifying is definitely something I want to focus on. Direction changes might not be our strong point. We’re struggling in the sense that I feel the bike is a bit heavy.
“So we’ll see. We’ll have to work. Tomorrow, when we go out on track, we’ll understand our problems and focus on them to try and improve them.”
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