Let's talk MotoGP: Jorge Martin has just thumbed his nose at Ducati for the last time

Pardon. Sorry for doubting you, Jorge. This season is now over, and even if the outcome was known in advance for a while, Jorge Martin thumbed his nose at Ducati for the last time, before leaving to join Aprilia as reigning world champion. . The Spaniard closes a historic season, the first to crown a private rider since the start of the MotoGP era. What lessons can be learned? Where was his victory played out? For two days, we will study the Jorge Martin question from angles little discussed until now.

His greatest achievement

First of all, I would like to congratulate him warmly, because he deserves his crown in more than one way. He makes a fine championas much as Bagnaia the two previous seasons. Martin is an exceptional driver, who shone, without ever being unsportsmanlike, without ever betraying the sport. His career, which we already expected to be great after this incredible coronation in Moto3 during the 2018 season, has just moved into another dimension.

Now, what is his greatest achievement? Everywhere I see everyone congratulating him for beating Pecco Bagnaia, or for doing it on a satellite bike, or both at the same time. Some mention its breathtaking intrinsic speed, its consistency. In reality, I think his greatest victory is elsewhere; it is to have done better than last year.

The Ducati Pramac with number 1, we will have seen it ten minutes. Photo: Michelin Motorsport

At the end of the 2023 season, I was drawing a sort of glass ceiling above his helmet – but he broke it, exactly like this cube stamped with the number 89 during his celebration. Indeed, he had missed the title by not much, but ultimately, a boulevard separated him from Bagnaia. From then on, a bit like Bezzecchi at the time, I wondered, legitimately I believe, if he had not missed his only opportunity to win a world title.

As we saw with Bezzecchi this year, it is extremely difficult to maintain a very high level of performance. And yet, not only did Martin get there, he did better. Faced with a Pecco Bagnaia at least as strong as in 2023, Martin found the mental resource to recreate an even greater challenge, which he ultimately won masterfully. I am forced to admit that I was wrong, I who imagined a real triumph for Pecco Bagnaia in 2024. Martin knew how to thwart history, because good pilots who failed one year but who never had another chance afterwards populate the dusty books.

The Martin grocery store is not ready to open

Secondly, let's look back at the appearance of his season. You know, human beings like comparisons. Since yesterday, I see a lot of people drawing parallels with 2020, and therefore, with Joan Mir. Not all titles are equal, just as not all victories are equal. And believe me, in the eyes of history – if she allows me to borrow them, Martin is nothing like Mir, or a Hayden, if you will and see what type of champion I mean.

Yes, he got beat a lot this year, which will be the subject of another analysis. Yes, he was very consistent, but he never made consistency his strength. We heard him say, at least ten times, that he calculated nothing. How many times have you seen him fall, sometimes leading, proof that consistency was not that important to him? Martin is like Bagnaia, the two are similar and I will never stop writing him. Simply, he knew how to manage his speed better than his opponent, he knew how to go very quickly while falling less, but there is a big difference with “calculating”. That's just for the mind. Then, in fact, on the track, please don't dare compare with Joan Mirwho had only won one race during his 2020 campaign.

Jorge Martin did the job at Barcelona, he was as impeccable as Bagnaia. Photo: Michelin Motorsport

Martin was flamboyant, brilliant, more than reserved. He always tried to stand out, to win – except maybe at Barcelona, but that doesn't count – even when he was out of the picture. In Sepang, he could not compare with Bagnaia on this circuit which has not been very successful for him in the past in MotoGP, and yet he gave everything, even though he had everything to lose! That’s what made it a great season; the title is something else, it comes later.

Tomorrow we will deal with other points to which I think it is good to return. HASSo, see you Tuesday, same time, for the rest of this analysis! In the meantime, tell me what you thought of this first part in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.