Jorge Martin was left frustrated after Friday Practice at the San Marino MotoGP, where he could only manage 10th place while his Aprilia Racing teammate Marco Bezzecchi topped the timesheets, over a tenth clear of the field.
Martin admitted he struggled with the soft rear tyre during time attacks. “I was completely on the limit,” he said. “I was struggling a lot with the soft. I expected to suffer a bit, but not that much. The balance of the bike changed a lot for my style.”
Despite the difficulties, Martin believes his pace isn't far off. “I was maybe two-tenths from the top. But as soon as we go time attack mode, I suffer a lot,” he explained. He hopes to improve for qualifying and the race.
Data analysis reveals that Bezzecchi's advantage is not limited to a few corners. “Honestly, watching his data, it's difficult because it's really small things every corner, not a huge thing in two corners,” Martin said. “It's all the track, a little bit, a little bit, and I'm losing and losing.”
Fellow Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez also struggled, finishing 12th. While Fernandez felt he was missing the correct line in tighter sections, Martin bemoaned a lack of balance with the soft tyre.
Despite a tough Friday, Martin remains optimistic for the races. “If I have to do P5, I will do P5, but it's not my target. My potential for this race is much higher,” he stated. He is confident Saturday will be better.
Martin also tried new earplugs designed for MotoGP's rider communication system but only used them for one run. “I tried them the first run, but I had some issues, so I took them off. I wanted to be really concentrated,” he concluded.
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