This Sunday August 8, 2021, Jorge Martín answered questions from journalists from the Red Bull Ring circuit, at the end of the Styrian Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the Spanish driver, author of his first victory in Austria, for what was only his sixth race contested in the premier category.
As usual, we report here the words of Jorge Martín without the slightest formatting.
Jorge, can you describe to us how your weekend and your race today went?
" That was a very good weekend for me, even if Friday I wasn't that confident, but I knew I had a good margin of improvement for Saturday. But as soon as I got on track I was very competitive: I finished fourth in FP3, and then we did a good job in FP4 with the broken tires. I felt very confident. »
" Good sure I didn't have the same pace as Fabio Quartararo or Pecco Bagnaia for example, but I was close, and with a few steps forward taken in the right direction, I was able to take pole position, which in itself was already incredible. At the first start everything went well, but I still had some problems with the front tire. But with the interruption of the race, I was able to change the tires and I felt very comfortable after the second start. I then took the lead of the race while trying to get my rhythm. »
" I knew the key was to be consistent, so I tried to stay within the 1'33 and 1'34 window. Joan [Mir] put a lot of pressure on me behind, so when I saw this gap of two tenths at the panel, I started to push more. It was necessary because in the last laps it was hard for me physically. I'm very happy for my team and for me, but also for Ducati because it was very important for them to win here. I didn't expect to be the winning driver today, but it's great, and I hope I can celebrate during the week. »
“I didn’t expect to be victorious today”
Few rookies have managed to win in their first season in the past, but that's what you managed to do, just like Brad Binder last year. You had already led the Doha Grand Prix to open the championship. Were there moments during the race when you felt pressure? With 11 laps to go you received a warning for exceeding the track limits, then there was Joan Mir who put pressure on you in the final stretches...
" SO There were still around fifteen laps left, I really wasn't at my best physically, and I thought it was the end for me because I knew that Mir was very close, so much so that I could hear his bike behind me... But when I saw this small gap, it reassured me because in the end I wasn't attacking more than that, and I could still maintain my pace. So I tried to drive more fluidly, especially in the first sector, which allowed me to maintain my pace. The last three laps were then quite critical, but I had opened up this gap, so I was able to manage that and go for the victory. »
Did you already know this season that you were able to win? And now that you have established yourself, what is your vision for the rest of the season and the next ones?
" I don't think too much about it. You just have to improve with each race, and in the end that's what happens. Of course the start in Qatar was nice, and there was already a possibility of victory then, but at the time I wasn't confident enough to achieve it. After my accident in Portimão, all my attention was focused on this race. Not this one in particular, but also next year's, because I knew for a fact that it was one of the best tracks for Ducati, so I thought it was the ideal place to try to get victory, and from then on I was 100% focused on this objective. Yesterday and even today I didn't expect to achieve this. »
" In As for the future, of course next week will be another chance for us to win again. I think we still have possible gains on this track, in places I think we can still gain one or two tenths. For next year, I don't want to think about it. This remains only my sixth race in MotoGP. It is clear that the potential is there to do great things, but the level is so high in MotoGP, and all the brands work so hard that we must not rest on our laurels. I know that this is what Ducati does, which works a lot. But in any case I have the feeling that I am in the right place to let my driving style express itself. So I am very happy and confident for the future. »
“I think we still have possible gains on this track”
What are your limits?
"When you are fighting for pole position, it is obvious that you are already at the limit, because we are in MotoGP and from the moment you are fighting for the best time there is not much more to TO DO. I will of course try to continue to progress, but typically I don't think that today I could have done better. I think we have good potential, just like the bike. But quite honestly I don't think about my limits, I'm just content to achieve good results, for myself and for the team. »
“I don’t think I could have done better today”
You are the first rider to win for a Ducati satellite team, and Pramac seems to really like you…
" I I am indeed the first driver to win for Pramac, and it is something special for me because Johann Zarco was very close to winning before me. Honestly, I don't think in terms of satellite teams or independent teams, because right now I'm still discovering everything at each race. But what is certain is that I feel incredibly good at Ducati and at Pramac. And I'm very happy to have brought them this result. »
Last year, during the second race in Austria, we saw quite different results from those observed during the first. Do you think the same thing will happen again next Sunday?
" I I think that next Sunday everyone will have taken a step forward and will be closer. So there should be more battles in the next few races, but I'm going to try to be as prepared as I can, and just try to be competitive. »
This weekend we saw three red flags for three contested races. Should we conclude that this circuit is too dangerous for MotoGP, and that we should consider changing its route?
" According to For me, there are of course things to improve but it is especially turn 3 which is quite critical. This is where most of the accidents take place which generally lead to race interruptions. But the layout will change in the future, so I imagine they will resolve this issue. There is also another place where you arrive at the top of a promontory and you don't really see what's behind it. »
You were Moto3 World Champion in the past, but were you under as much pressure then as you are today?
" Today, I can’t say I felt a huge amount of pressure. I have felt pressure in the past, when for lack of victories I could very well find myself without handlebars afterwards. In these moments I think I have been able to show maturity in the past and have handled pressure well. As for today I of course felt the pressure from Joan, but it was okay. I remember feeling a lot of pressure also in Moto2 where I couldn't escape. But then I managed to stay focused throughout the race. Today was another difficult race, a new difficult battle to fight, and I think it was played more on the mind than on the track. »
Today, it was more about the mind than on the track”
You have just won your first MotoGP race, but for all that you seem to be able to keep a cool head and analyze the race. Do you think that this calmness you show is one of your greatest assets?
"When I saw this gap of a second and a half, I understood that I had won the race. I was happy but also very tired... So, that's why I managed to stay calm, because I didn't have to fight until the last corner against Joan Mir. But if that had been the case, I think it would have been a different story. »
You explained that you had problems with your front tire during the first part of the race, can you tell us more?
" It There are tires that work well, and others less so. As soon as I left the pit lane I felt that the front wasn't working very well, and when I found myself behind Pecco Bagnaia I almost crashed. So I was worried, but fortunately I was able to fit other tires afterwards and it was perfect. »
Johann Zarco explained that he had problems accelerating when shifting through the first three gears. Have you experienced the same problem?
" In the last few laps I also encountered some slippage on the first two gears, but I think the tire was quite damaged. But I was still able to handle it in a good way. »
You seemed very focused throughout the weekend. Do you go through any mental preparation to achieve this, or is it just part of your personality?
" During From the summer break, I had quite a few changes in my life. I won't dwell further on the subject, but now I am indeed much more focused and with a clear mind. »
At the end of the race you were warned for exceeding the limits of the track. Were you worried about being penalized?
" I knew exactly how many times I went outside, and as soon as I touched the sensor the first time I was notified. I was a little nervous at that moment, and also when I came into the first corner straight after I went a little wide, but that only happened once. I just tried to stay focused and not go out of bounds, and in the end it wasn't that difficult, so it's okay. »
Styrian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring: Results
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
