MotoGP, Xaus has no doubts: “Martin fell into Marquez’s trap”

Xaus has tried to explain how the duel between the two MotoGP title contenders unfolded in Australia: did his rival force Martinator into making a mistake?

The sprint race at Phillip Island delivered plenty of excitement thanks to the heated battle between Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin. Neither rider held back, and both showed just how eager they were to get the better of the other. Unfortunately, the duel ended on lap eight, when the Aprilia rider crashed at Turn 8, bringing both his race and the rest of his weekend to an end. He suffered a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius. Fortunately for him, the full-length race was not held in Australia, and his deficit to his Ducati rival in the standings remained at 10 points.

Martinator certainly made a mistake, throwing away the chance to win and remain at the top of the MotoGP standings. As if that were not bad enough, he also suffered an injury that puts his participation in next weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix at risk. The Qatar GP is scheduled to follow, unless the event is suddenly cancelled.

Ruben Xaus shared his take on what happened between the two riders at Phillip Island on the Duralavita podcast: “Marc knew he couldn’t match the Aprilia and rode with the handbrake on, knowing where he had to avoid making mistakes. The Aprilia was much stronger through the fast corners, so Marc tried to brake, tighten his lines and get Jorge flustered—which he managed to do. Jorge rides better on his own, when he can take the corners the way the Aprilia likes. But behind the Ducati, there were sections of the track where he had to change the way he entered or exited a corner to stay alongside Marc.”

Martin failed to make effective use of his technical advantage over a Marquez who was extremely skilled at playing his cards to avoid being definitively passed by his rival: “Marc took risks, knowing he didn’t have the best bike,” Xaus added, “and that he couldn’t push any harder because the Ducati had its limits. That wasn’t the case for Jorge, who knew he had more pace and the bike to win the race and score as many points as possible. That’s why he wanted to be out in front. Marc played the experience card well.”

Xaus is convinced that Marquez induced Martin to make a mistake, drawing on his superior experience and cunning: “Martin made more mistakes than usual because Marquez forced him into them. Marc braked late, and Jorge was uncomfortable behind him. When you’re not comfortable, you go slower and make more mistakes. I think he fell into Marc’s trap, as Marc used his experience to make the most of the Aprilia’s weak points and put him under pressure.”

When a rider realizes he is faster than his rival, it can be hard to rein in the urge to get ahead, because he sees a chance to beat him and wants to seize it. However, some situations call for a very cool head and precision to avoid wasting the opportunity—especially when facing a tactician as clever as Marquez. Martin could certainly have handled the situation better.

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