News Summary
- Jorge Martín says an error in front tyre-pressure preparation forced him to surrender the Indonesian sprint lead.
- The Aprilia rider allowed Marc Márquez through to avoid a potential eight-second penalty, before running wide and finishing fourth.
- Martín lost the championship lead and now trails Márquez by four points heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Jorge Martín has revealed that a tyre-pressure preparation error forced him to give up the lead of the Indonesian MotoGP sprint, costing him the opportunity to win at Mandalika before a separate riding mistake dropped him off the podium and handed the championship advantage to Marc Márquez.
The Aprilia rider had taken the lead at the first corner and established an advantage of more than one second over Márquez. However, a warning concerning his front tyre pressure forced Martín to change his race strategy with five laps remaining.
Martín deliberately allowed Márquez to overtake, attempting to increase the front tyre temperature and pressure while following the Ducati. He subsequently recovered enough pace to challenge again but ran wide at Turn 15, finishing fourth behind Márquez, Ai Ogura and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Martín explains why he surrendered the sprint lead
Speaking to DAZN, Martín acknowledged an error in preparing the tyre pressures.
The Spaniard explained that Mandalika’s changing afternoon temperatures and humidity had contributed to the front tyre cooling more than expected.
He attempted to increase the temperature by riding harder, but could not raise the pressure sufficiently while leading.
Rather than risk an eight-second penalty for failing to comply with the minimum-pressure requirements, Martín decided to let Márquez through and follow his motorcycle.
The strategy allowed the Aprilia rider to recover tyre temperature and pressure, but it also cost him the lead of a race he had appeared capable of winning.
Martín accepts responsibility for late mistake
After allowing Márquez through, Martín closed the gap again and prepared another attack.
However, the Spaniard ran wide at Turn 15 in the closing stages, losing positions to Ogura and Di Giannantonio.
He acknowledged that the late mistake was his own, while emphasising that the team and rider share responsibility for the tyre-pressure problem.
“We win and we lose together,” Martín said.
The former world champion also pointed out that, by allowing Márquez past, he avoided a penalty that could have cost him even more championship points.
The fourth-place finish earned Martín six points, while Márquez collected 12 for victory.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported in its Indonesian sprint coverage, the six-point swing reversed Martín’s two-point championship advantage.
Martín trails Márquez by four points before Sunday’s race
Martín entered Mandalika with 333 points against Márquez’s 331, but now trails the Ducati rider by four after Saturday’s sprint.
The result produced the seventh change of championship leader in 2026, continuing a season in which Pedro Acosta, Marco Bezzecchi, Martín and Márquez have all occupied first place.
GRANDE PRÊMIO has documented all seven changes of championship leader, including the latest reversal in Indonesia.
Despite the disappointment, Martín remains confident about his race pace. He believes the Aprilia has sufficient speed to challenge for victory on Sunday, although he has struggled to match the other RS-GP riders through Mandalika’s fastest corners.
The complete Indonesian MotoGP schedule, including qualifying and broadcast information is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO‘s weekend guide. GRANDE PRÊMIO provides full coverage of the MotoGP championship.
