Jorge Martin said front‑end tyre chatter shut him down, leaving him 0.6 seconds off Brno’s pace and stalling his bid for Q2.
Practice Performance and Front‑Tyre Woes
Friday’s session saw Martin clock an 11th‑fastest lap in Moto2, a result that missed a direct Q2 spot. His RS‑GP’s front tyre fed him a low‑confidence rhythm, keeping him from pushing into the second qualifying round.
He blamed no physical fatigue, noting that a recent crash at the start of the Hungarian GP had no bearing on Brno workings. “Physically I feel fine, but the front was the problem and it cost me the spark to push,” he said.
Martin’s comments echoed a pattern across three races, all suffering similar front‑tyre doubts. “We’ve had this issue in Mugello, Balaton, and now at Brno. I want engineering to dig in,” he added.
Companion Riders and Race‑Day Penalties
Only rider not to reach Q2 was Martin; Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura topped the times ahead of works rider Marco Bezzecchi, with Raul Fernández also still cutting through race‑day recovery.
In addition to the performance setback, Martin will confront a double long‑lap penalty at the Sunday race. The stewards held him guilty of the opening‑lap melee at Balaton Park, and he has spent practice time looping the long‑lap while the course remained dirty.
“Every lap’s improved, but you can’t lean normally. The in‑lap and out‑lap feel different, yet the long‑lap is still an extra 1½ seconds,” he said, showing concern for safety while preparing for the final race.
Looking Ahead
Martin remains hopeful that Saturday can shake off the front‑tyre glitch. “I think tomorrow will be a different story. The other riders look fast, and something must be wrong with the bike now,” he said.
His focus will be on regaining the confidence that was lost in practice and to leverage the full potential of his Aprilia machine. For now, the rider is on a mission to overcome mechanical mistrust and return to the front of Moto2 grid in the Czech Grand Prix.
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