Polesitter Martin secured victory in Saturday’s sprint race, despite grappling with rear chatter issues that surfaced during pre-season testing.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by the rear chatter problem on used tires, Martin expressed concerns about its impact on Sunday’s grand prix, deeming a repeat performance “impossible.”
Despite the victory, Martin admitted to moments where he felt perilously close to crashing during the sprint, necessitating urgent resolution of the issue. Emphasizing the need for improvements, he expressed confidence in his abilities but highlighted the necessity of addressing the bike’s technical issues.
Martin attributed his sprint win partly to pole position advantage and successful defense against Brad Binder, acknowledging that without these factors, victory would have been elusive. Reflecting on the race, he noted the early onset of the problem and its potential implications for the upcoming grand prix.
Addressing concerns about the issue’s prevalence among Ducati riders, Martin confirmed ongoing efforts to resolve the problem, albeit admitting limited time for experimentation ahead of the race.
Similarly, fellow Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia highlighted rear chatter concerns, hinting at a focus on tire pressures for improvement in the upcoming race.
