Martin confident yet cautious on back-to-back chance

German MotoGP Sprint race winner Jorge Martin claims he won’t throw caution to the wind as he bids for a Sachsenring double in the main race on Sunday.

Martin gave Ducati a first victory at the German track after winning the Sprint race by 2.4s from championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati).

It was Martin’s second victory in the short format race this season and despite the Sprint success, Martin says he will use his head after climbing to second place in the title standings behind Bagnaia, 21 points adrift of the Italian.

“Yes, I think so,” said Martin, asked if he could repeat his victory on Sunday.

“I am much more faster here than in Mugello. I feel strong, I need to be calm for sure because for me now it is more important to finish second, third or fifth than to crash, so I prefer to fight for it – but if I have my chance I will go for it.”

Martin pulled off a race-winning double overtake on Bagnaia and Jack Miller to take the lead into Turn 11 before clearing off at the front, opening up an unassailable lead on the Ducati for a deserved win.

It was an impressive move, but the Spanish rider admitted he had to take ‘a lot of risk’ to complete the manoeuvre.

“I wanted to overtake just Pecco, but when I saw he was on the inside and Jack was not so fast on this corner, and he was maybe keeping the tyre, I said ‘Okay it’s time to go’.

“I went on the outside and I did a lot of risk because then I lost the front, but I could save it … I did an amazing move and it is not easy nowadays to do two in a row in the same corner.

“I’m super happy, for sure it was good points and I feel strong during all of the weekend.”

Martin was one of the riders who had their final fast lap times cancelled in the closing stages of qualifying due to a yellow flag, when team-mate Johann Zarco came off with moments remaining.

However, he still managed to make it onto the second row in sixth.

“It was a pity in the qualifying, there was yellow flags and I was coming for pole position, but starting from sixth I was focused on the start,” said Martin.

“It wasn’t easy on the first laps but then I just tried to keep my pace, to try to be focused and it wasn’t easy because a lot of laps we were here [third] but finally we did an amazing result.

“I’m happy for my team also and I’m focused on tomorrow.”