“I still need to understand the Aprilia”: Jorge Martin explains Catalunya sprint crash

Jorge Martin says he was “too optimistic” when he crashed out of the sprint at the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix sprint, noting that “I still need to understand the Aprilia”.

The 2024 world champion has endured a bruising weekend at Barcelona, having crashed four times across the first two days of the Catalan Grand Prix.

Jorge Martin brushed off a fall in Q1 to advance to Q2 in qualifying, where he put his RS-GP eighth on the grid.

But he crashed again while running sixth in the sprint, though has only lost a point to team-mate Marco Bezzecchi in the standings, who struggled to ninth.

“We are finding the limit”

Martin explained that a tailwind into Turn 10 led to him braking slightly longer, which ultimately tucked the front.

But he says this is still part of him learning the Aprilia, while adding that he felt good on the bike before the fall.

“Thank God that I feel ok,” he said.

“Some small injuries in some parts of my body, but nothing important.

“I want to thank my team, first of all, because it’s unbelievable how they are working, after four crashes, without even a lunch break to eat.

“So, I’m really proud of this amazing team.

“For my side, I feel good. I feel much better than yesterday.

“The feeling on the bike was great today.

“I was hoping that my pace was going to make me go forward, but then I had this small crash.

“I was maybe too optimistic in corner 10.

“We had some tailwind there, so I just kept the brake maybe two or three metres more, and then I crashed.

“But this is part of our sport. I still need to understand the Aprilia.

“I think we are finding the limit. For sure, this race track, with this low grip, is much more difficult. But this is part of the process.”