Championship leader Jorge Martin: “I’ve never been the favourite!”

After two fifth-place finishes at MotorLand Aragon, Jorge Martin’s lead at the top of the standings has slipped back below the 20-point mark. And his team-mate Bezzecchi, who trails by 24 points ahead of his home race on the Adriatic coast, could also claw his way back to the top of the premier class. Ironically, the two riders hot on Martin’s heels are the very same ones who were in a league of their own at Misano in 2025. Marc Marquez won the San Marino GP half a second ahead of Bezzecchi. Martin, finishing 13th, lost almost half a minute.

Martin, who will be competing on the 850cc Yamaha next year, made a point of not drawing attention to himself at the opening press conference in Misano. His focus is solely on the coming days at Misano: “Misano is a good track for me and, after Aragon didn’t go so well, I’m really keen to make an impression here. I feel good – but I’m still not at 100 per cent.”

Jorge Martin, who, on his way to winning the 2024 title, forced his rival Pecco Bagnaia into a crash at the Italian’s home track in Misano, does not want to assign himself a clear role: “I’ve never been the favourite, and that’s still the case now. But we’re all here to win, and even though I’ve been able to fight for victory recently, I’m working hard to ensure I remain in the title race.”

And yet the question arose about his toughest World Championship rivals – Marc or Marco? Jorge Martin failed to give a clear answer: “Both are performing at an incredibly high level. Marc rode incredibly well at Aragon and won. And Marco is on home soil and hugely motivated. On top of that, I wasn’t that competitive last year. The weekend will provide the answers.

Another topic at the start of the San Marino GP was the issue of injuries. With Ai Ogura and Maverick Viñales, two regular riders will miss the second round of the season in Italy, and the top three in the World Championship can all speak from experience when it comes to serious health problems. Jorge Martin: “My confidence in making a comeback comes from the feeling that I’ve prepared perfectly. It’s just that sometimes we don’t take enough time; we’re rushing things. What I’ve learnt from my injuries is that it’s better to take a bit more time to get that right feeling.”

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11.09.2026 - 08:55