P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Martin: Portugal MotoGP win “amazing” at a track “where I almost lost everything”
The 2023 championship runner-up secured his first grand prix victory since last year’s Thailand GP with a controlled performance in Portugal last Sunday. Following former championship leader Francesco Bagnaia’s crash involving Marc Marquez, Martin now leads the standings by 18 points. Defending the lead he took from third on the grid at Turn 3 was crucial for Martin and the win was particularly emotional for him due to a past incident that almost ended his career. Martin emphasized the importance of consistency and credited a strong start for his success in the race. He expressed happiness and pride in his team’s performance, noting that the new Ducati performs better on Sundays. Despite struggles with rear chatter in Qatar, Martin managed to avoid the issue in Portugal, but acknowledged the need to improve the bike’s performance in sprint races compared to grands prix.
