Jorge Martin admitted he could not beat Marc Marquez at the Japanese Grand Prix, settling for a second‑place finish despite a strong start from pole position.
Marc Marquez secures sixth victory of the season
The Ducati rider overhauled Martin just before the halfway point at Turn 9, after Martin had led from the front following a pole position secured by a vastly upgraded Aprilia.
Marquez clinched his sixth overall triumph in nine races, doubling his success at Motegi and narrowing the championship gap with Martin to a mere two points.
Jorge Martin says it is impossible to beat him
Martin explained that throughout the weekend a superior machine and error‑free approach by Marquez left him unable to mount a challenge, despite claiming the fastest laps.
A fuel‑consumption issue forced Martin to conserve throttle, giving Marquez the edge to pass before the midway mark.
Aprilà’s successful comeback amid championship battle
The Aprilà squad celebrated a first podium at a circuit that had previously stifled their performance, cementing a new benchmark for the bike.
Looking ahead, Martin stressed the difficulty of overtaking Marquez in the remaining races, yet remained proud of fighting at the championship front.
With Marquez and Martin within two points, every succeeding round will demand that the Aprilà team shave seconds from their lap times if they hope to echo the dominance seen at Motegi.
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