Martin takes blame for costly Misano bike swap call

Jorge Martin has taken the blame for opting to pit to swap bikes during the brief rain shower in the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix which wrecked his race.

Pramac’s Martin conceded 19 points to world champion and chief title rival Francesco Bagnaia at Misano as one of the few riders that peeled into the pitlane during a brief rain shower.

The San Marino asphalt dried within minutes and the Spaniard had to re-enter the pitbox for his original GP24 with the dry setting and tyres; dropping him a lap behind the leaders and down to 15th for the final championship point.

“I was thinking more about the race than the championship, so I thought it was better to stop,” Martin explained to the media after the race, having been running second at the time and had already banked 12 points after winning the sprint on Saturday.

“Next time I will wait behind Pecco and do the same.”

He added: “For sure it was wet. I think [Franco] Morbidelli crashed. If it kept [raining] the same then I would have won! But from one lap to another it stopped. As soon as I exited from the box I waited but then understood that the best option was to go back.”

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin also admitted he had not decided on a firm strategy with the Pramac crew, even though the race was deemed flag-to-flag and every squad had a second bike warmed up in pitlane.

“We didn’t speak about it, and I didn’t know what was coming,” he said. “Maybe that’s why I stopped. Maybe this time we missed a bit of understanding between us.”

Winner Marc Marquez said that no team could make a judgment for the rider; the call had to be based on feeling on track.

“Corner three to 11 was raining a lot, that is why I took my decision,” Martin offered. “Next time, I will follow my rival.”

Martin still heads the MotoGP riders’ championship by seven points from Bagnaia, 53 from Marquez and 62 from Bagnaia’s Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini.