Jorge Martín once again proved his mastery of sprint races, clinching victory at the French Grand Prix on Saturday. The Spaniard’s triumph was built on a stunning start that saw him leap from eighth to first in just a few corners, earning his 18th career win in this format.
“I always prepare my starts very well and I know exactly what I want to do,” Martín explained in the parc fermé. “I was ready for any situation and I got off the line much better than I expected. When you’re moving forward, you have more decision-making power than if you have a bad start. I saw gaps and went for them. I was perhaps expecting to reach fourth or third, but being first by the second corner was beyond what I imagined.”
“We had worked on it, but I wasn’t fully aware of the exact rhythm with the hard front tire, which works best for us. So I just pushed. I was on a cloud, in a flow state, without thinking. At the end, I had to back off a bit because I had built a gap, and it was just about maintaining.”
**A Winning Mantra**
To approach the race, Martín repeated a mantra to himself: “determination, decision, concentration” – and it worked. “I had it in my head, and I’m starting to feel that confidence again. From the first lap, I already know where the bike is, that the tires are in the right place, and that helps me,” he said, though he added that “that confidence is built day by day, it’s not given to you.”
Martín celebrates the victory with his team.
“That’s what it’s all about – continuing to work hard to improve. In time attack, I still struggle, but in the race, which is more about rhythm, I feel more comfortable,” he explained.
“Today I was very clever at the start, but tomorrow I won’t be able to pull off that much magic. I just hope to finish the race and grab as many points as possible,” he commented regarding Sunday’s main event.
