Let's Talk MotoGP: These Little Details That Jorge Martin Might Regret

The MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix is ​​over: Jorge Martin has won and appears to be the big winner of this round in the eyes of all. The race wasn't the craziest, granted, but its share of lessons is no less interesting. Let's take a look, if you like, at the analysis of this round and the performance of its main protagonists. Are you ready? Let's go!

 

Jorge Martin, a real triumph?

 

We all saw the domination of the "Martinator" over a Grand Prix to which he seemed to have the key from Saturday morning. But in reality, is he the big winner of this round? I don't think so, and for several rather subtle reasons that I will try to explain in the following paragraphs.

First, the accounting balance sheet. Against Pecco Bagnaia, Martin's strategy was simple: attack, as much as possible. This was seen during qualifying – where we found the lightning Martin that we all know –, but also during the Sprint with this start from beyond the grave. Clearly, he was superior to the Italian; it was already the case last year. Bagnaia never saw the light of day, he was far away, unable to answerHe himself acknowledged this at the end of the Sprint, a race he nevertheless won.

 

 

And yet, Martin arrived with a 24-point lead and leaves with 21. This means that Bagnaia was better on a weekend scale. I have the strong impression that Martin, in order to establish his command, had to crush this sleeve. He had the ability, but he didn't capitalize on a clear dominance: this parameter can hurt a lot. Falling in the lead when no one expects to see you in that position is one thing, but falling in the lead when you almost "easily" dominate the competition is another. He won, yes, but by not much. The dynamic is no more in his favor than when he arrived on Indonesian soil, Bagnaia has no less confidence, and worse, he has even come closer.

Second, his body language upon arrival. Jorge Martin is quite expressive, and you know I like to focus on this rather neglected aspect on this side of the Atlantic. Jorge Martin's celebration was quite... energetic, let's put it that way. It's impossible for me to know what was going on in his head, but his angry gestures (breaks out of his bubble and signs on the edge of the obscene in the closed park) betrayed a kind of vengeful spirit. Martin gave the impression of having won the title, of being liberated, of having taken some kind of revenge on fate. His reverence in the face of the turn that had made him fall the day before convinced me. If we are to believe the history of sports, this is not necessarily a good thing.

 

 

This is typically the kind of celebration that leads to overconfidence, especially since the mathematics did not justify such enthusiasm. There is a correlation with the feeling of omnipotence, of invincibility. This is just my opinion, of course, and we will see if it is confirmed in the coming weeks. This brings me to my third and final point, namely its contradictions. Last week, beaten by Bastianini, he said he was thinking about the title, which is rare enough to be noted.. Besides, he had quickly apologized for his outburst at the finish. But during the following Grand Prix, here he is falling in the Sprint, arriving, apparently, much too quickly in this famous bend. Then, on Sunday, he celebrates as if he had his revenge.

I'm not saying he'll lose that world title because of these actions, I'm just saying it's probably not the most effective approach against a competitor of Pecco Bagnaia's caliber. He remains cool in all circumstances, sharp, always ready to bite. Every time an outsider, and every time fast. By taking on the role of undisputed leader as he did in the parc ferme, I doubt Martin has taken the pressure off himself. Wasn't it he who was citing the mental difficulty his situation represented after his fall on Saturday?

All this leads me to say that Bagnaia will still have a chance to recover and that it would be stupid to bury him after this weekend.

 

 

Miraculous?

 

Exactly, let's talk about it. In my opinion, this Bagnaia Grand Prix was one of the best paid of this year.. It may seem strange, because he has never been as fast as his rival, but that is precisely what makes me say that. He manages to grab 32 points without ever being number 1. Even Enea Bastianini was more dangerous than him in terms of pure pace. This type of meeting where he is not the strongest but still manages to grab a large number of points is perhaps his salvation. It was already the case in Germany, for example. He maximized his potential, raced very intelligently, in addition to benefiting from this "champion's luck", as if everything was going his way (the falls of Martin and Bastianini in front of him, for example). In this logic, I almost expected Pedro Acosta to be downgraded, but that didn't happen.

 

Ducati's Kryptonite

 

Finally, a quick point about Pedro Acosta. Once again, he was excellent. His maturity shines through in the interviews he gives, it's quite impressive for his age. I think he is on his way to becoming the real number 1 at KTM, the one who gives direction, the one we listen to.. Besides, this is the case in the ranking after Brad Binder's atrocious weekend.

 

 

As the weeks go by, it seems that neither Aprilia nor KTM can challenge Ducati. The Italian firm is too far away; now, only Pedro Acosta can do something about it. The Austrian firm's chances of victory at the end of the season rest almost entirely on the shoulders of a 20-year-old kid.. It's both beautiful and sad.

Tomorrow I will return to the battle for third place in the championship between Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. See you at 20:30 p.m., then, for a new episode of Let's talk MotoGP.

What did you think of Jorge Martin's reaction after the race? Does it tell you anything? It’s up to you to answer me in the comments!

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

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport