Jorge Martin says he’s a ‘100%’ better rider after crash comeback

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Jorge Martin’s journey back to the top of MotoGP is one that many fans didn’t see coming, especially after his difficult return from a serious crash at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix.

After spending most of last season recovering, few people expected Martin to kick off 2026 with such a strong start. But he’s proving any doubters wrong, sitting just four points behind his Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the early championship race.

This season was expected to be a big one for Aprilia and Bezzecchi. The Italian manufacturer had high hopes for their title push, but they might not have counted on Martin playing such a big role in that conversation.

While Aprilia may lean towards supporting Bezzecchi over Martin in the title fight, it’s clear that the Spaniard has as good a shot as anyone to win it all this year.

Jorge Martin says more experienced approach has helped improve him as a rider

Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images

Jorge Martin spoke to Diario AS about how his attitude towards racing has changed, saying his added maturity is shaping the way he rides now.

Earlier in his career, Martin was more willing to take risks if it meant chasing wins. These days, he prefers to lean on what he’s learned over the years and focus on consistently improving.

“I’ve matured a lot; it’s made me enjoy or see other aspects of life. As a rider, it’s clear that now I always avoid unnecessary risks.

“When you’re younger, you do go a lot by instinct, and as you get older, you find speed using that experience without being so aggressive. Trying to know when it’s time to push when it’s time to take it easy; it’s something I try to stay very focused on.

“I’m the same as always (on a personal level), but I’m definitely a better rider than I was before, that’s 100%. I’m more mature, I have more experience, I’m going faster and it’s clear that I hope to keep improving; that’s my daily goal.

“And I don’t focus on winning; I focus on being better every day so that the final result is a consequence of all that work.”

Jorge Martin never thought about F1 retirement after Qatar GP crash

Earlier in the conversation, Martin mentioned that he was determined to get back to MotoGP as soon as he got injured and that the idea of stepping away from the sport never crossed his mind.

“Retirement has never been on my mind. If that thought ever crossed my mind, it was because I couldn’t ride a bike anymore, not because I wanted to retire. I never wanted to do it, I never thought about 2025, and here I am back. Well, not really back, because I never left.

“Everything I’ve done to recover and come back is because (MotoGP) is the meaning of my life. I believe I was born to be a rider, I’ve become a rider, and I wasn’t going to give up when I encountered obstacles.

“On the contrary, I was going to try to overcome everything. From the moment I was in the hospital, every time something went wrong or didn’t go how we wanted it in terms of recovery… in fact, there were days when nothing improved.”

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