Martin or Marquez? Who Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’ would back

The MotoGP title race is more exciting this year than it has been for a long time. With five Grands Prix remaining, championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia) and Marc Marquez (Ducati) are separated by just two points. Marco Bezzecchi is still in with a chance, but is already 46 points behind his Aprilia team-mate.

Martin and Marquez have been racking up points consistently in recent races, and the action continues this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix. Over the coming weeks, the battle for the 2026 MotoGP World Championship title is set to intensify further.

One man who has won four World Championship titles himself during his career and has been a successful team owner for years is Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’. He knows Martin and Marquez very well. “I like them both very much. I have a more personal relationship with Marc, because of Maximo and because he comes to my circuit for training. Jorge was also one of my riders and I like him very much,” the Spaniard began, explaining his personal connections to the two World Championship contenders. Who would he put his money on? “I think Marc has the better chances, even though the Aprilia might be a slightly more well-rounded bike than the Ducati at the moment. But Marc is mentally very strong. The other day, when he knew his bike was outclassed on a track that doesn’t suit him, he still managed to finish. That says a lot about him.” With this, Martinez was referring to the Indonesian Grand Prix, where Marc Marquez finished 1st and 6th on his “troublesome track”.

Jorge Martinez «Aspar»

Foto: Gold & Goose

Jorge Martinez: “Aprilia has taken a step forward; Ducati is struggling”

MM93 stands out for one thing above all else: he is always able to get the very most out of his package. “If you look closely, his Ducati is currently superior to the other Ducatis. That wasn’t the case last year; even his brother took a few races off him back then,” said Martinez. “Aprilia has taken a step forward, Ducati is struggling more. But Marc is handling it very well. I often say that a rider between the ages of 15 and 20 doesn’t think: it’s pure aggression. Some do think, but only very little. Between 20 and 25, they start to combine aggression with thought, and from 25 onwards, they think above all else. Marc has retained that spark of aggression, but he thinks much more now than he used to. When he left Honda and moved to Gresini and later to the Ducati factory team, he showed that he has a certain mentality, certain values and one overriding goal: to win. Neither the team nor the money mattered to him. He was looking for the opportunity that would allow him to fight for victory.”

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22.10.2026 - 23:55