Jorge Martin reacts to Marc Marquez pass and Maverick Vinales’ pace in Portimao
Jorge Martin couldn't pass Maverick Vinales then lost P2 in the Portuguese MotoGP sprint to Marc Marquez
Jorge Martin suffered from chatter problems as he was forced to settle for P3 in the Portuguese MotoGP sprint race.
The Pramac rider was fighting at the front but couldn’t find a way past winner Maverick Vinales.
Martin then fell back a further place after a last-gasp Marc Marquez overtake.
Martin reacted to Marquez’s pass: “I struggled with the front pressure and couldn’t brake strong.
“He was behind for a lot of laps. He could see how to make the move.”
And Martin said about the victorious Vinales: “I was impressed. I thought when Pecco was wide, he would make more mistakes and slow a bit.
“But he was still fast.
“I think I was faster at some points. I could’ve pulled away. But I couldn’t make the move, it was too risky.
“I struggled with vibrations.
“He did a really good race.
“In braking, I feel I am stronger. But I can’t make corner speed so I can’t be close to fight in the braking point.”
Francesco Bagnaia’s error, which cost him a victory in the second sprint race of the season, means he holds only a two-point advantage over Martin in the MotoGP standings heading into Sunday’s grand prix.
But Martin is still unable to solve his Ducati’s chatter issue, a problem which first emerged during preseason testing.
“I don’t know what to say. I’ve struggled all weekend with the softs,” he reacted.
“For sure, I thought I’d be able to battle for a victory. I tried it.
“But, I couldn’t make the move on Maverick.
“I struggled a lot. Again, I had rear vibrations.
“I didn’t have them yesterday or this morning. It’s because we were pushing the rear tyre too much, so I had this problem.
“Every lap, it was worse, and I couldn’t make a move on Maverick.
“If not, I was strong to pull away.
“Hopefully tomorrow with the medium, with which I feel more comfortable, I will have a more stable bike.”
Martin explained where he felt the chatter: “Entry. Pushing the rear tyre means we consume the tyre in a different way. I don’t know, I don’t understand exactly.
“With the new bike, it seems like we have to be really careful in the first laps, then push later.
“In Qatar and here, we have had a lot of problems.
“We need to solve it or we will have these problems all season.
“Other brands don’t have it. We need to work on it, and solve the problem.
“With the medium in the morning with 25 laps, I was fast, so I am confident for tomorrow.
“Let’s see if, managing the tyre, we can avoid it.”
