MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Jorge Martin of Aprilia Racing played down concerns over track conditions at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, despite a significant delay caused by a hole on the circuit in Goiania.
The disruption occurred on Saturday when a hole was discovered on the start-finish straight at the Ayrton Senna Circuit, prompting a full reshuffle of the afternoon schedule. Moto2 qualifying was postponed to Sunday morning, while the MotoGP Sprint was delayed by over an hour to allow urgent repair work.
The Sprint eventually began at 16:20 local time instead of the originally scheduled 15:00, but the repair did not directly influence the outcome of the race. However, the extended delay created additional challenges for riders in maintaining focus and preparation routines.
“It’s not easy to keep the concentration for more than one-and-a-half hours later,” Martin told TNT Sports.
“I was just doing again my routine, the same as I did before.”
Martin also noted that the location of the hole, positioned away from the racing line, meant it posed minimal risk for MotoGP riders under race conditions.
“I didn’t even see it, I was out of the line.”
“For me we could race even with the hole because it was not on the racing line, so I think for us MotoGP riders we can manage it.”
On track, Martin secured third place in the Sprint, marking his first podium with Aprilia in any MotoGP race format. The result highlights growing confidence as he continues adapting to the RS-GP package following his move from Ducati.
He explained that recent progress has been driven by intensive preparation and an improved understanding of the bike’s technical demands.
“During these last few months I’ve been training a lot and trying to put everything together, and it seems like the confidence is getting there more and more,” he said.
“I know what I need from the bike, I know what I need for my riding style.”
Despite the positive result, Martin admitted that a crash in Q2 affected his confidence early in the Sprint, limiting his ability to fully exploit his pace in the opening laps.
“I knew my potential was even for the victory, but after the qualifying crash I started to miss a bit of confidence.”
“I think the first three laps I was a bit too safe overtaking Fabio Quartararo, and then I was really relaxed after being behind Marco Bezzecchi.”
Looking ahead to the Grand Prix, Martin acknowledged that Ducati remains the benchmark, particularly over longer race distances and in specific technical areas such as gearbox performance.
“We are, I think, a step away from them [Ducati],” he stated.
“I was hearing what they were commenting, and for sure we also have a different gearbox, so maybe for tomorrow we have to change a bit.”
Martin emphasised that rider adaptability will be a decisive factor at Goiania, given the variability in track conditions observed throughout the weekend.
“I think here it is more about how fast the rider can adapt to the conditions. Today was really different from the other practices, so I hope to improve tomorrow for the race.”
With a first Sprint podium secured, Martin now targets further progress in Sunday’s full-distance race, where consistency and technical execution will be critical in challenging Ducati’s advantage.
MotoGP Brazil 2026 continues with the Grand Prix race, where evolving track conditions are expected to remain a key variable in shaping the competitive order.
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