Spaniard Jorge Martin was exultant after winning his first MotoGP world title on Sunday in Montmelo (Spain).
You are MotoGP world champion, how do you feel right now?
Jorge Martin : It's an incredible feeling, I'm still in shock, I still don't realize it. I cried a lot on the bike and when I found my loved ones. My career hasn't been easy, it's been a long road, I've worked hard and made big sacrifices to improve. Thanks to Pramac and Ducati for allowing me to have a fantastic bike for four years. It’s like coming full circle to a perfect career. I could stop riding tomorrow, I would still be the happiest man in the world because I was world champion. It's not going to change my life, but for my loved ones and the Pramac team, it's truly incredible. Now that I have won, I will be better prepared to win another title. No matter what happens in the future, now I can really enjoy the bike.
What made the difference this year and how did you experience the race on Sunday?
The important thing this season was to learn from the past. We can obviously make mistakes, we are human, but we have to know how to take the positive, learn from that so as not to repeat them. Last year I had a first opportunity to win the title but I wasn't ready. This season I have been very consistent. Today (Sunday) was complicated, the conditions were difficult and the choice of tires was important. I chose the medium tire because it was less risky. It may not have been the best choice but it was enough. But I was scared before the race, even though I believed in myself. I was confident I could finish in the top nine and stayed totally focused. But the last seven laps were difficult, a lot of memories came back to me. In the last lap, I felt the emotion building and I was already starting to cry.
Is this revenge on the official Ducati team, which did not choose you twice, in 2022 and 2024?
I never wanted to take revenge or show them that they made the wrong choice. Maybe my place was not at Ducati and I was more at home at Pramac, which became my family. Maybe I wasn't at my best at the time I needed to go to Ducati, but I'm grateful to them for allowing me to fight for the title with their bike. I have a lot of respect for Ducati and for Pecco (Bagnaia). We've known each other since we were young and we like each other. He's a fantastic pilot. Ducati has always trusted me and has never betrayed me.
Comments collected at a press conference
