MotoGP Sepang Test: Martin ‘not pushing 100 per cent’

Jorge Martin was the man to beat on Saturday at Sepang but a late crash for the Prima Pramac rider put his final day of MotoGP testing in doubt.

Martin set the pace with a 1’58.736 lap on just his 13th of the day after overnight rain left a damp and slow morning. The Spaniard proved unbeatable as the time stuck throughout the remainder of the second day of testing, the returning rain impacting the team’s original schedules with planned work curtailed and postponed for Sunday’s conclusion.

With one day in Malaysia and two further days in Portugal left of pre-season testing ahead of the opening round in late March, the number 89 is hopeful he will be back at it despite his burnt and heavily bandaged hand after the turn seven off.

“I’m okay,” Martin confirmed from Sepang. “I could be a bit better for sure.

“I burned my hand and is really painful. I hope that tomorrow I can ride in a good way without having pain but let’s see.

“In any case, happy with the laps we did. I was constant, we were fast. We try different fairings and I was happy about that. So we are looking forward for tomorrow.

“I have good confidence at the moment,” he continued on his session-topping pace, albeit adrift of the Friday best set by fellow Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi. “I feel fast, I feel good with the bike. Straight away yesterday but also today I was riding more smooth and even though I was fast, I was not pushing 100 per cent, just trying to be constant. It was a pity to have this crash at the end of the day but it is what it is and I hope to be good for tomorrow.”

Martin had been in the middle of a back-to-back analysis of the GP23’s aero options when the afternoon crash occurred, with one day left in Malaysia to secure his findings.

“I just