\Jorge Martin delivered a timely reminder of his championship credentials at Silverstone, dominating the British Grand Prix Sprint from pole position to end a difficult run of form.
The Aprilia rider controlled the race from start to finish, setting a new lap record on his way to victory and extending his championship lead to 17 points.
The result was particularly important for Martin after a series of difficult weekends in which he struggled to find the confidence and feeling he needed from his bike. Those struggles had also contributed to several uncharacteristic mistakes.
Silverstone, however, produced a very different Martin.
A key part of his turnaround came from Aprilia’s decision to return to an older base setup that had previously worked well for him. Martin revealed that the configuration was the same one used during his strong weekend at Le Mans.
“It’s the same bike we used in Le Mans,” Martin said.
The team also fitted a new aerodynamic package to Martin’s RS-GP as part of its development work. The combination gave him the stability and feedback he had been missing, allowing him to ride with greater confidence around the demanding Silverstone circuit.
Source: Crash.net
Tyre management was another important factor during the Sprint. With the leading riders opting for the soft rear tyre, Martin had to balance his pace with the need to control degradation over the race distance.
Ai Ogura briefly put pressure on him during the race, but Martin responded immediately and rebuilt his advantage before crossing the line 1.5 seconds clear.
The Spaniard credited the balance of his Aprilia for making tyre management easier, explaining that he did not need to fight against the bike to extract performance from it.
That feeling was a major contrast to recent races, where Martin had struggled to trust his machine.
Despite the convincing victory, Martin was careful not to suggest that his problems had suddenly disappeared. The championship leader knows the progress needs to be confirmed at the upcoming rounds.
“It’s not that we now won Silverstone and everything is alright,” Martin said, stressing the need to “reconfirm in the next races.”
For now, however, Silverstone has given Martin exactly what he needed. The Sprint victory restored his confidence, increased his championship advantage and showed that the combination of a familiar setup and improved feeling can bring the best out of the Aprilia rider.
After a difficult spell, the “Martinator” appears to have found his rhythm again.
