Jorge Martin “struggling” at Mandalika, says Marc Marquez’s pace is “better”

F1 Singapore GP live commentary and updates reveal that Jorge Martin has admitted to struggling during Friday practice at the Indonesian Grand Prix, despite finishing third in terms of speed. The issue, according to Martin, stems from tire temperature problems. He was separated from the leading Raul Fernandez by a half-second in the practice session. This deficit also existed when he competed against Marco Bezzecchi, who was the fastest among the three.

Martin had difficulty getting his front tyre to reach optimal temperature, which he believes led to his inconsistent performance in the practice sessions. While he acknowledged that he possessed speed, he struggled to maintain consistent laps due to the temperature issues. When he attempted time trials, his confidence returned, but he still felt he was not at his best.

Although Bezzecchi was seen as the pre-weekend favorite for victory at Mandalika, Martin himself has a solid record at the 4.3 km track, having won the event in 2024 with Pramac Ducati. He is hoping for a solution to his front tyre problems overnight, following a similar problem he faced in Japan last weekend.

Martin also expressed concern over Marc Marquez's potential performance this weekend. He noted that while Marquez is currently seven-tenths behind him in the championship, he believes Marquez is quicker on long runs. Despite the gap, Martin remains focused on finding a solution to his tyre issues in order to compete for the win in the upcoming race.