Jorge Martin heads into MotoGP's summer break as championship leader, but the Aprilia rider admits he is increasingly concerned that his advantage will not last unless the team can rediscover its early season form.
Despite retaining the top spot in the standings after the German Grand Prix, Martin endured another frustrating weekend at the Sachsenring and believes his rivals are closing in quickly.
"At this rate, I won't lead the championship for long," Martin admitted after the race.
The Spaniard acknowledged that simply holding onto the championship lead offers little comfort when his recent performances have fallen below expectations. While Aprilia enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 campaign, Martin believes the bike has gradually lost its competitive edge over the past few rounds.
Source: Crash.net
According to Martin, the team has moved too far away from the setup that made the RS-GP one of the strongest bikes on the grid earlier this season. He feels the current package no longer allows him to fight consistently at the front and that improvements are urgently needed.
Martin also dismissed suggestions that he should be considered the title favourite simply because he leads the standings. Instead, he pointed to Marc Marquez as the rider carrying the strongest momentum after another dominant weekend in Germany.
"I'm not the favourite. Marc is," Martin said, highlighting the Ducati rider's recent form heading into the second half of the season.
Marquez's victory at the Sachsenring significantly tightened the championship battle, while Martin's modest result left him aware that his margin for error is rapidly shrinking. With several contenders separated by only a small number of points, he believes Aprilia must use the summer break to understand why its performance has dropped.
Although Martin remains optimistic that the team can recover, he admitted the upcoming races will be crucial if he hopes to remain in contention for the 2026 MotoGP crown.
"We need to understand what has changed and get back to where we were," Martin said, stressing that finding solutions during the break could determine whether he can remain at the top of the standings.
