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Jorge Martin has made it clear that he won't listen if Ducati ever tries to interfere in his battle with Francesco Bagnaia this season. Martin is a satellite rider with the latest spec of the bike while Bagnaia is the reigning MotoGP champion riding for the factory team.
There was a moment this season when the Italian held more than a 60-point lead over Martin. That lead has shrunk to only three points now, with Jorge Martin putting together a stunning comeback. The Spaniard has also been aided by Francesco Bagnaia's accident in Barcelona which meant the reigning champion had to recover and gain full fitness.
Talking about the possibility of an intervention from Ducati, Jorge Martin told La Vanguardia that he trusted the team to not do that. He said:
“We will only know the day we both arrive with options, risking everything for one or two races. Yes, I trust that, with what Ducati has invested in me, they will give me the same options as him to fight for the championship."
Talking about the 2023 MotoGP season, Jorge Martin revealed that there were explicit instructions from Ducati to not overtake Francesco Bagnaia. He also revealed that none of that was happening this season and even if the Italian brand did, he would not listen. He said:
"Yes, there was. They told us that we had to be careful, that you couldn't overtake him. From very early on in the season we were very careful with him, in the end that affected you in the races. This year no. And even if Ducati told me something, I wouldn't listen. Last year, when he no longer had any options, they tried to help him, above all we had to be careful with him if we were going to overtake him.”
Jorge Martin on how the race in Germany proved to be a turning point against Francesco Bagnaia
Talking about the moment where it all worked out for him, Jorge Martin said that it came down to the race in Germany where he was able to beat Francesco Bagnaia and win. It was at that point that he closed the gap in terms of performance and started to grow in terms of confidence. He said:
"Anyone who gets between him and me will be good, but right now I don't see anyone. When I'm not there to stand up to him, there is no clear candidate. By beating him in Germany I grew and he saw it. And every weekend I've been there."
He added:
“Yes, yes, my goal is to reach the official Ducati as soon as possible. I am achieving results that speak for themselves, I hope Ducati appreciates it.”
The MotoGP season is heading towards a very interesting end with both Martin and Bagnaia very close to each other in terms of performance. It will be interesting to see what happens next.
