Jorge Martin Denies Payback on Marc Marquez in Austria Sprint

Jorge Martin insisted his mid-race overtake on Marc Marquez was not an act of retaliation. The Aprilia rider was dropped to eighth after an opening-lap clash with the Ducati rider.

The MotoGP Austrian sprint at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday delivered a thrilling duel between the two championship leaders. Martin and Marquez lined up first and second, promising a fierce battle for victory. However, drama unfolded from the start.

At Turn 1, Martin ran too deep, allowing Marquez to seize the opportunity. The pair made contact in the right-left chicane, sending Martin off track and Marquez into the lead. Martin dropped to eighth.

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Nevertheless, the 2024 champion refused to give up. He staged a remarkable comeback, passing five riders by mid-race to close in on Marquez. On lap 8, Martin grabbed second with a bold move at Turn 1, forcing Marquez wide.

That move paved the way for Martin to claim his fourth win of the season after Pedro Acosta crashed out of the lead with three laps remaining. The victory put Martin three points ahead of Marquez in the standings.

Recalling the opening lap, Martin said, “I think there was nothing I could do. I did the first corner well. Then, in the second corner, I braked so hard to try to keep the position, even though I heard a ‘red bullet’ going there. But the important thing is that I didn't lose, I didn't go wide, I was able to keep the line. But then, when I changed direction, I almost crashed, so that was the moment where I started losing positions. This is racing. I hope that tomorrow I will be a bit more clever and try to understand where to pass.”

When asked if Marquez was too aggressive, Martin replied, “I knew he was going to try, as he always does. I was ready for everything and I was able to stay on the bike, so this is good.”

Martin stressed he wasn't trying to take revenge on Marquez with his Turn 1 pass. “No, the thing is when you overtake Marc, if you overtake just like another rider, he will overtake you back. So you need to stop the bike a bit more and try to keep a good exit. That's what I did, not only with him, but also with Alex Marquez and with Marco Bezzecchi. It's really important nowadays in MotoGP and more on this track to keep a good line for the exit.”

When Jorge Lorenzo asked if the anger he felt after dropping the order at the start helped get the best out of him, Martin refuted the question, saying: “All weekend I've been building a lot of pace, going alone, trying to do long runs... Maybe in other races I lacked that more, but even though Ig”