Jorge Martin: It’s down to the riders in Aprilia versus Ducati battle 

Jorge Martin says there is “no gap” between Aprilia and Ducati following the Spanish Grand Prix and he believes it is down to the riders to make the difference as the MotoGP season unfolds.

Aprilia was defeated for the first time this year at Jerez last Sunday, when Alex Marquez took victory for the Gresini Ducati squad. After the factory Aprilias, Marco Bezzecchi and Martin, came home second and fourth respectively, Martin said there was nothing to choose between the two Italian marques.

Asked in his media briefing if Ducati had closed the gap in Spain, he replied: “There is no gap. I think there is no sense to continue comparing Aprilia with Ducati.

“I know it’s your job,” he joked with the journalists in attendance. “You need to speak about something. But there’s no gap. 

“The Aprilia and the Ducati are different. One is faster in one point, the other one is faster in another one.

“Today, a Ducati won, with an Aprilia second. I was in fourth, so a bit of a mix. I think it will be like this all season. Ducati versus Aprilia, or, I don’t know, Marquez versus Martin versus Bezzecchi.

“So, it’s more about the rider than the bike at the moment.”

Martin’s countryman Pedro Acosta, who struggled to 10th aboard the factory KTM, on a bad weekend he hopes will be an outlier, was more forthright about Ducati having made progress upon MotoGP’s return to Europe.

“It’s clear that Ducati woke up again,” said the man from Murcia, who went on to offer an opinion on a key storyline in that battle among the top riders: Marc Marquez’s struggles.

Once again, Marc failed to assume his usual position as leader of the Ducati brigade. Not only was he unable to match the pace of his brother Alex, he also crashed. Asked about the accident at the fast Criville right-hander, Acosta referenced the injury Marquez picked up in Indonesia last season, just after he wrapped up the world championship.

“It looks like since Indonesia, he’s not riding as comfortably as he was last year,” said Acosta, who is slated to join Marquez at the Ducati factory team next season. “[That’s why] I imagine that he’s not at his 100%, because it’s quite strange to see Marc crashing in this type of corner.”

Marquez reiterated after the Spanish GP that he was fully recovered and fit, but echoed Acosta’s observation.

“For some reason, at the moment I’m not feeling [the way I did] last year,” he said. “Last year, I was riding in an easy way, always in a good position on the bike. And this year, I’m not able to do it.”

Photos from Spanish GP – Sunday

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