Jorge Martín, the fastest in the GP of the Americas, still wants Ducati red

Jorge Martín already thought in 2022 that he deserved the most coveted seat on the grid in MotoGP, the red one that identifies the official Ducati of the factory team. There have already been three seasons with honey on our lips, so close and so far from fulfilling the desire of every driver, that of acting as a reference and banner of a great brand. The man from Madrid, understandably frustrated after slamming the door twice, has managed to keep his cool and perform at his best with the Italians' second squad. With Pramac, the same team that welcomed MotoGP in 2021, it has grown to the point of being proclaimed runner-up last year, the only one capable of taking the battle with Pecco Bagnaia, the number one of the Italians, to the last career.

“My future is not in my hands, I have already passed the buck, and Ducati must decide what to do,” commented the one from San Sebastián de los Reyes before starting to ride in Austin, where this weekend the GP of the Americas. The Spaniard, who currently leads the classification after two grand prizes, has shown that his level last year was not a flash in the pan. From his entourage, they point out that they expect a decision before the Italian GP, ​​which takes place at the beginning of June. Although Martín prioritizes the sporty aspect, and the red Desmosedici is still the machine he most desires, he will not hesitate to change scene if the bosses of Bologna take too long to decide. There is no shortage of offers.

“Just like Ducati will be there, there are other factories on the list. When we have to choose, we'll see where we go,” the driver assured EL PAÍS the day after losing the title in Valencia. “I think being a champion or not changes things very little. I have already proven everything I had to prove. If they have not promoted me now, I see it difficult in the future,” he added. Enea Bastianini, thanks to four victories with Gresini in 2022, the fourth team in the Borgo Panigale pecking order, was the one who took away the seat that he has maintained until now. Sources close to the negotiation tell this newspaper that this will be the last year of the Rimini native wearing red.

There are at least two reasons that support this theory. Martín has started stronger than he finished last year, and not raising him will mean losing him to another cause. The doubts that Gigi Dall'Igna and the rest of the leaders in Bologna have are mainly due to the arrival of Marc Márquez to their ecosystem. The eight-time world champion is a real sweetheart for any factory, and Ducati's own CEO, Claudio Domenicali, defined it as "the best possible marketing campaign", in statements to this newspaper. If he wins soon and shows that he can fight for the title again, the Catalan can overtake the Madrid native on the right.

Despite this new variable to take into account, Martín remains focused on his roadmap. “My biggest rival is myself, and if I manage to achieve my results, show my best version, the place will be mine,” he says. Either he or Márquez will be alongside the current two-time world champion in the premier class in 2025.

At the start of the action in the United States, the 89 Pramac continued in its line and broke the track record (2'01.397) to set the best time of the day on Friday. As the drivers always like to remind, what really matters comes on Saturday and Sunday. “In MotoGP you are worth what you do in your last race, neither the previous year nor your career matters,” the Madrid native summed up a few days after receiving the first Ducati pumpkins. The third time lucky?

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