Jorge Martin slipped to third‑fastest in Friday’s first practice at the Indonesian Grand Prix, an outcome that left the Spanish rider admitting his front tyre struggled to reach the proper temperature.
Martin’s Front‑Tyre Troubles
After Raul Fernández hammered a new lap record on the Trackhouse‑run Aprilia, Martin followed with the third quickest time, trailing the countryman by 0.481 seconds and later ceding another 0.26 seconds to team‑mate Marco Bezzecchi in the opening session. Martin explained that the front tyre had been “cold” throughout the day, causing him to lose grip, make errors and feel unconfident.
“I was losing the front everywhere, so I was losing a lot of confidence. I couldn’t get into the pace, I was making a lot of mistakes,” Martin said. “In time‑attack everything came back to normal with the front, but I didn’t have that extra tool to push for an amazing lap.”
Competition from Trackhouse and Bezzecchi
Although Martin managed a faster lap than title rival Marc Marquez—who finished fifth in practice—Marquez stayed only 0.7 seconds off the front of the field and 0.2 seconds behind Martin. “Marc is as good as me, his pace is even better. I knew they were going to work things out,” Martin added, indicating that both Trackhouse riders remain serious threats.
The Spanish rider said he hopes Aprilia resolves the front‑tyre issue overnight, noting that a similar step materialised in Japan after a Friday struggle. “If I am able to solve that and get more confidence, I can be in the fight for the win,” he said, stressing the need to close gaps before Saturday’s sprint.
Championship Implications
Martin enters Saturday’s sprint leading the championship by two points over Marquez, with Bezzecchi 49 points adrift in third. Despite acknowledging his team‑mates as big opponents, Martin stressed they are all “super close in terms of time attack and pace.”
With the front‑tyre problem potentially rectified, Martin could launch a championship‑deciding push into Saturday’s sprint, a prospect that keeps the title ladder razor‑thin for the weekend.
"