Martín acknowledges Márquez and Bezzecchi have a pace advantage

Jorge Martín arrives at Misano leading the championship by 19 points from Marc Márquez and 24 from Marco Bezzecchi. But the 2024 champion does not consider himself the fastest of the three. On Thursday, he acknowledged that his two rivals currently have a small performance advantage. He attributes his lead to consistency and an ability to score points without always taking the greatest risks, after injuries severely disrupted his 2025 season.

That approach could change. Martín is considering taking more risks, while stressing that he will have to judge for himself when the time is right to change his approach. Misano is the 14th of 22 scheduled rounds: nine events remain on the calendar, including this one. With up to 37 points available each weekend across the Sprint and Grand Prix, his advantage does not rule out a change of championship leader as early as Sunday.

Aprilia therefore heads into this round with two title contenders, including home rider Bezzecchi, against a Márquez who has just won both the Sprint and Grand Prix in Aragón. Friday practice will provide the first indications of their relative pace at Misano. For Martín, the task is to establish whether he can stay in touch without moving too soon away from the risk management that has taken him to the top.