Juan Martínez analyzed what surprised him the most in the 2023 season of the MotoGP, both negative and positive.
About Manuel Pecino / Motosan.es
Juan Martinez has been present in the MotoGP paddock for three decades. The Barcelona native worked at Repsol Honda with champions such as Mick Doohan, Álex Crivillé and Valentino Rossi. He was also responsible for the motorcycles of Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden at Ducati. Currently, he closely follows everything that happens in MotoGP as a commentator for DAZN. In this interview, Juan Martinez talks about Ducati's work last season and the changes at Honda ahead of 2024.
As a technical observer, is there anything that has struck you about the 2023 season?
“I would say, on the negative side, what struck me was what was made public at the last moment: the fact that Honda has a bike that is apparently so heavy. For me, this is a bad symptom, a bad sign. »
We talked about several figures, between seven and eight kilos…
“It seems like there’s even more being talked about. The 'facelift' they did to this version they had in Valencia is seven to eight kilos. But there is still progress to be made in this area. A lot of things are similar to what I experienced at Ducati, with Valentino Rossi, etc. And this bike, apart from the fact that ergonomically it was a disaster, in terms of weight it was a disaster. It's true that the reason it's so heavy is because there's something inside the engine that they can't really change, which is probably the mass of the engine. »
“That's the only explanation, otherwise why stay with the bike like that all year? Also, when you talk to people, some will tell you a lot of nonsense. Some say they may be over fifteen pounds overweight, and fifteen pounds is almost the weight of a full tank. In other words, during the entire race you are carrying twice as much weight as the other runners. »
“Viñales has more potential than he shows”
And on a positive note, has anything happened?
“On the positive side, it’s no surprise that Ducati is still the benchmark, as it has shown. Since the arrival of Gigi [Dall'Igna], there has been a lot of talk about Ducati's technical decisions. But I think Ducati managed to make some very good sporting decisions as well. Sports management is, from my point of view, what has the most impact on the final result. Technique is a consequence of the way you work athletically. In Malaysia there was a curious thing: Ciabatti said on Saturday morning that Martin could be integrated into the official team. And Bastianini ended up winning on Sunday. »
“I think all of these things have an impact. And Gigi, in recent years, technologically, is the best student. He is the one who understands the regulations from the outside. Behind it, I see KTM's will, but it's not much more than a will for the moment. I think that sportingly, they did not manage to balance everything. And Aprilia, I think they have two riders who, between them, have no real sporting competition. They are therefore no longer in the spotlight. »
Don't you think that Viñales wants to beat Espargaró and prove that he is better?
“Viñales’ track record proves it. The fact is that Maverick, since his time at Yamaha, has been in a somewhat mystical period. I think you have to understand criticism from a positive perspective, and I think you have to be critical of those who have the most potential. In this case, Maverick has more potential than he shows. That's my opinion, it's difficult to measure it, but that's what his track record says. But the track record is only useful in negotiations; what matters is the result on Sunday. And for now, Aleix is superior. »
“Bagnaia was the deserved world champion”
You were talking about Dall'Igna and the rules, the difference is that others see what they can't do, and Gigi sees what he can do?
“It’s true, and in that he has the advantage. Then it is obvious that they work very well. In terms of reliability, they have practically no problems. Concerning the Ducati project, for their rivals, it's the worst thing: they don't see where the 'flaw' in the regulations is. And this is what makes their project more solvent at the moment. It is true that we say here that everyone can win with Ducati. But at the end of the day, they had two fantastic drivers this year: one is Bagnaia and the other is Martin. And from my point of view, Bagnaia was the deserved winner of the championship. In bad times, he reacted best. »
Sharing data between the eight Ducati riders is a good thing at the brand level, but at the rider level?
“In the past, when we played with Sete [Gibernau] and Valentino [Rossi], it turned out that Valentino could see our data and we couldn't see his. In this sense, the situation is more balanced. It is true that given the equality of the championship, to what extent do the small details, the little things, decide the races? I think during the weekend this should be limited; and each team should be able to see only and exclusively their data. Because otherwise, we don't defend small teams at all. Your job, and the opportunity to differentiate yourself, lies in what you do at that moment. So I think it should be limited. »
To be continued…
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Manuel Pecino
