Jorge Martin has played down the importance of maintaining his MotoGP championship lead as the title battle enters another crucial stage at Misano this weekend.
The Aprilia rider arrives at the San Marino Grand Prix leading the standings by 19 points over reigning champion Marc Marquez, with team-mate Marco Bezzecchi a further five points behind.
While Martin has won just one Grand Prix this season, his consistency has allowed him to remain at the top of the championship since the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen. Marquez and Bezzecchi, meanwhile, have each claimed four victories.
The narrow points gap means the championship picture could change significantly after Sunday’s race. Martin lost 21 points to Marquez at the previous round in Aragon, and another difficult weekend could see his advantage disappear.
However, Martin insists protecting his position at the top of the standings is not his main priority.
“Leading the standings is important for the entire Aprilia team, but we’ve already seen that, given the close gaps, it is neither a priority nor a determining factor,” Martin said.
Instead, the Spaniard wants to concentrate on extracting the maximum from his Aprilia RS-GP26 at a circuit where he has enjoyed success before. Martin won the 2023 San Marino Grand Prix and believes Misano should suit him.
“Misano is always special when you are on an Italian team,” he said. “We are heading to a track that I like after doing a good job in Aragon, and we have clear objectives.”
Martin will also have to contend with a motivated Bezzecchi, who is looking to build on his emotional victory at Mugello earlier this season.
The Italian arrives at his home round after showing strong pace in Aragon, where he challenged Marquez during qualifying and the Sprint. He also finished second to Marquez at Misano last year following a closely fought battle.
“I’m extremely happy to be going to Misano,” Bezzecchi said. “It will be fantastic to finally see all our fans again, although it will undoubtedly be a demanding weekend.”
With just 24 points separating Martin from Bezzecchi, Aprilia has two genuine title contenders heading into its home race. Marquez remains the biggest threat, sitting between the two Aprilia riders in the standings.
Fabio Di Giannantonio is also still within mathematical contention, although the VR46 rider trails Martin by 48 points.
With 37 points available across a MotoGP weekend, the championship could look very different by Sunday evening. For Martin, however, the approach remains simple: focus on the bike, deliver a strong weekend and let the points take care of themselves.
