Jorge Martín doesn't believe the Assen MotoGP is a must-win for Aprilia, despite recent struggles. On Thursday, ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Martín emphasized the importance of gaining the right feeling with his bike.
What happened?
Aprilia's early-season dominance has been severely tested in recent rounds, with on-track incidents and Ducati's significant gains in the championship. Martín was involved in a race-ending collision at the Catalan Grand Prix and triggered a pile-up at Turn 1 in Hungary.
Why it matters for Jorge Martín
Martín's championship hopes are still alive, but he trails leader Marco Bezzecchi by eight points. Bezzecchi was banned after striking a marshal following a crash in the sprint at the Czech Grand Prix, allowing Marc Marquez to close the gap.
What comes next?
Martín will try to find the perfect feeling with his bike at Assen, which he achieved at Le Mans. He hopes his team has some ideas to improve the front-end of his Aprilia, which has been a issue in recent rounds.
Martín wants to focus on riding rather than being an engineer. He told his team his comments and is waiting to see what they have in mind to try on Friday at Assen.
The Dutch Grand Prix is a crucial race for Aprilia, with Ducati's Fabio Di Giannantonio only 23 points behind Bezzecchi. Martín knows that if he can find the right feeling with his bike, he can fight for victories and podiums every weekend.
Martín's team will have something for him to try on Friday at Assen. He is taking it like a test, trying to understand how he can improve because he thinks they stopped improving after Le Mans.
Martín's goal is to continue improving his base set-up to be able to fight for the title. He knows the other teams are coming, and Aprilia needs to keep improving to stay ahead.
The Assen MotoGP will be a challenging race for Martín, but he is confident that if he can find the right feeling with his bike, he can achieve a good result. He will try to put the recent struggles behind him and focus on the task at hand.
Martín's championship hopes are still alive, and he will do everything he can to stay in contention. The Assen MotoGP will be a crucial race in the 2026 MotoGP season, and Martín is ready to give it his all.