Jorge Martin, rider of the Aprilia Racing Team, has had a complicated start to practice at the Australian Grand Prix. Although his team set the pace at the Phillip Island circuit, Martin was forced to adapt to his bike after not competing in the previous edition due to an injury.
While Aprilia dominated the session with Marco Bezzecchi leading the time sheet, Martin finished in fifth place, 0.255 seconds off the best time. Moreover, he was the slowest Aprilia rider, finishing behind his championship rival, Marc Márquez, who achieved a time similar to Bezzecchi.
Martin explained that the absence of the previous year influenced his performance, as he had no references to adjust to his RS-GP. This led him to revert to old habits acquired during his time with Ducati.
‘I had to adapt to the Aprilia style because I am used to the Ducati here. Unfortunately, I was trying to get into the corners quickly, but that damaged my front tires,’ Martin declared. However, he added that by the end of the session he felt better balanced and hoped to improve in the upcoming practices.
With five races left, Martin maintains a lead of just two points over Márquez in the championship standings, while Bezzecchi is 46 points away.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_f21a671ba3093c2a121b35a054741b12ba24e6b0