Jorge Martin blames Aragon grip for MotoGP
Jorge Martin says a specific lack of grip at the Aragon track, not a wider bike problem, caused his underwhelming fifth-place finish, which cut his
Jorge Martin's championship lead was cut to 19 points after a difficult weekend at the MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix. The Aprilia rider qualified half a second off pole and finished a distant fifth, well behind the podium contenders.
This performance was a stark contrast to his dominant showing at Silverstone just three weeks prior. There, he secured pole position, won the sprint race, and finished second in the main event. The Spaniard insists his Aragon struggles were track-specific and not a return of the mysterious form slumps that plagued his early season.
A Grip Problem, Not a Bike Problem
Martin cited a persistent lack of rear grip as his core limitation throughout the Aragon weekend. He felt this issue more acutely than other Aprilia riders, including his injured teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who managed to secure a podium finish. He said the grip overall was his limit during all the weekend.
He carried the same bike set-up that brought success at Silverstone and Le Mans into the Aragon event. While the ultimate performance was missing, he stressed he still felt connected to the machine. This gave him confidence the problem was situational. He explained he felt confident and good with the front, but that the grip was dropping.
Contrasting Performances on the Same Machine
The disparity between the two factory Aprilia riders at Aragon was notable. The following table compares their key results from the weekend:
| Rider | Qualifying Position | Race Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Marco Bezzecchi | 3rd | 3rd (Podium) |
| Jorge Martin | 6th | 5th |
Martin acknowledged his teammate's strong showing proved the RS-GP had competitive potential at the circuit. His own struggles, therefore, were rider-specific. He described the feeling as different from earlier-season woes where he completely lost the 'feeling' with the bike. He said the feeling is there, not like maybe Brno or Sachsenring, where he didn't have the feeling. He feels what is happening, but he doesn't feel the performance.
Managing Damage and Looking Ahead
Martin framed the entire Aragon weekend as an exercise in damage limitation. He called it his worst track of the season in terms of pure speed. Despite this, he secured a fifth-place finish in both the sprint and the grand prix, collecting valuable points. He stated that in a really bad weekend, almost the worst of the season in terms of speed, he was able to make some points.
He opted for a conservative approach, prioritizing a finish over taking excessive risks. A key moment came early in the race when he was passed by eventual winner Marc Marquez, dropping him to fifth. With nine rounds remaining, Martin knows the title fight is tightening. He leaves Aragon focused on tracks where he expects grip levels to be higher, viewing the weekend as an isolated setback rather than a trend.
He got off the line well on Sunday and briefly ran second.
