Martin: “I don’t have any answers” from Michelin, ‘maybe spoke too much’
The title contender lost huge points to Francesco Bagnaia as a result and is now staring down a very difficult gap to overturn.
With just this weekend left in the 2023 championship, Martin’s only realistic hope is to win both races, but even that won’t be enough if Bagnaia finishes fifth or better on both occasions.
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“I don’t have anything to lose and I’m just going to try and enjoy the weekend,” said Martin. “I will try to win both races and I’m really capable of doing that. It’s a track that I enjoy and I’m really fast here. Let’s try to win both.”
In the heat of the moment Martin admitted his chances of winning the 2023 title were over, following the grand prix at Lusail.
But the Spaniard has since moved on quickly, instead putting his focus into his final home race of the year.
“It was quite easy to forget about it and I understood that it wasn’t my fault,” added Martin. “It is what it is and I don’t want to think about it.
“I just want to focus on this weekend. I think, in the past 21 points would have been a lot but maybe now it is not that much.
“We still have our chances. Whatever comes is good. If we finish second it is good and if we win it will be awesome.”
Despite admitting that an investigation into the data was taking place, Michelin are yet to provide Martin with any answers of why his rear tyre failed to perform.
Martin said: “No not yet. For sure, it was a hard race and I struggled quite a lot. I struggled from the first lap. I don’t have any answers yet and these things need time.
“Maybe I spoke a bit too much after the race because I’m a really impulsive person, but we don’t know what happened. Let’s see what happens in maybe one or two months."
