Jorge Martin has identified the primary reasons behind his qualifying difficulties in MotoGP, highlighting how the Aprilia settings optimized for race performance hinder his one-lap pace. Since resuming competition at the Czech Grand Prix in July after injury, Martin has yet to break into the top 10 during qualifying, and his elimination in Q1 at the Catalan Grand Prix marked the third straight event where he failed to advance.
Despite these qualifying setbacks, Martin has demonstrated resilience on race days, progressively improving his results with a standout fourth-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He asserts that both he and Aprilia must focus on reducing the gap between qualifying and race setups, aiming to secure higher grid positions and consistently finish races within the top five.
He explained his challenge in Barcelona, describing the need for separate tuning approaches:
“I am overriding the bike. Now we have to make a setting for qualifying and a setting for the race. The race setting is good, but with this setting I cannot push too much in braking [in qualifying], because then everything becomes difficult.”
Regarding potential adjustments, Martin added,
“So maybe I need to do something, rotate the bike, or give more stability in braking just for one lap, and then keep this bike for the race.”
How Martin’s Braking Strength Impacts Overall Performance
Ironically, Martin’s braking, which is his strongest asset during races, also contributes to his qualifying drawbacks. His aggressive braking style enables him to gain positions and make significant progress after poor starts, but this strength compromises balance when fast laps are required.
Martin acknowledged this trade-off, stating,
“I feel I’m very, very strong in braking with Aprilia. Maybe too much. I can overtake riders, but I need a bit of speed [elsewhere]. There’s always a balance, a compromise. Now I have to lose a bit of braking, and gain in other parts.”
He also said,
“For sure, I’m super strong, I brake really late, but then I lose maybe in another corner, so I need to understand. Hopefully I don’t lose braking, but improve in [other areas and can] be a bit more competitive.”
Martin elaborated on the technical difficulties related to his braking performance and throttle control: the Aprilia bike allows riders to push hard on the front brake, but excessive force leads to loss of traction. A problematic “first touch” on the throttle causes wheel spin, requiring smooth brake release and gentle throttle application.
On this fine balance, Martin emphasized,
“If I do everything aggressively, like I used to do in the Ducati, then everything becomes really difficult. So stability is now where we have to focus, and trying to be smooth.”
Looking Ahead: The Importance of the Upcoming Misano Test
Martin views the test scheduled for September 15 at Misano as a crucial opportunity to refine his setup and resolve the issues affecting his qualifying speed. He described this phase as an adaptation process needed to unlock his full potential on the Aprilia RS-GP.
He stated,
“It is just an adaptation process. The Misano test will be super important for me, to understand this.”
Responding to the need for improvement in time-attack pace, Martin added,
“I will work a lot on time attack, because it is the point where we need to improve. As soon as I improve this, I can be fighting in all the races for top 5, top 6 and so on.”
This focus on qualifying performance is expected to have a significant impact on Martin’s ability to compete more effectively throughout the remainder of the MotoGP season, giving him a better platform to challenge at the front.
