Martin’s 100% podium-finish file in 2024 got here to an finish final Sunday on the Americas Grand Prix when he was overtaken for third by Ducati’s Enea Bastianini on the penultimate lap.
Whereas the Pramac rider’s lead was reduce, he nonetheless holds a 21-point lead over Bastianini heading to subsequent week’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Reigning double world champion Bagnaia received the Qatar GP however missed the dash podium in Portugal as a consequence of a mistake whereas main earlier than a collision took him out of that GP.
And in Austin, Bagnaia struggled for grip on his strategy to sixth within the dash and battled chatter points within the GP to solely come away with fifth and path Martin by 30 factors.
Regardless of this, Martin reckons Bagnaia remains to be the favorite for this 12 months’s championship however believes the battle is rather more open than it was in 2023.
“I don’t know, I believe there are numerous riders who may be combating for the championship,” he mentioned. “I believe nonetheless Pecco is the favorite as a result of he received final season, he’s the primary.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“So, now we simply have to be… I imply, the rivals are sturdy. We’ve Marc [Marquez], we now have even Pedro [Acosta], who is basically, actually good and fixed.
“So, we by no means know. Enea was tremendous sturdy all weekend. The vital factor is we’re quick in every single place, and we have to be centered on that.”
In a threatening place to take command early within the championship after the opening rounds, Martin stresses that that is of little concern to him proper now.
“For positive, I don’t look for the time being to that,” he mentioned of his place within the standings. “I don’t like to consider that.
“However the factors we’re doing are because of this. I’m joyful about that. I’m joyful that we now have 80 factors already, it’s quite a bit.
“I believe we now have to be joyful and preserve this line, or this fashion, as a result of we’re working fairly effectively and specializing in ourselves and enhancing the outcomes from final season.
“This can be a monitor the place I struggled on previously and this weekend we acquired various factors, and for positive it’s higher to be within the lead than tenth.”
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