Jorge Martin shatters the COTA lap record by half a second during Friday practice.
In a surprising turn of events, world championship leader Jorge Martin set a new COTA lap record on the first day of the 2024 Americas MotoGP.
The Pramac Ducati rider initially focused on conserving energy for the demanding weekend ahead at one of the most physically challenging tracks on the MotoGP calendar. However, Martin unleashed a remarkable performance, surging 0.6 seconds clear of the competition after equipping new tires in the final stages of the afternoon session.
Although Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales managed to narrow Martin’s lead to just 0.076 seconds later in the day, Marc Marquez secured the third spot, trailing the Pramac Ducati rider by 0.409 seconds.
“I’m feeling really good,” Martin shared. “Honestly, I didn’t anticipate being this fast today, especially since this track has been a bit of a challenge for me in the past.”
“I maintained a smooth pace, focusing on managing my physical condition to conserve energy for Sunday,” Martin explained. “I wasn’t pushing at my absolute limit, but when I did decide to push, I was able to produce some incredible laps.”
“I’m thrilled with how things went today,” Martin continued. “Tomorrow will undoubtedly be a tough day as everyone will be aiming to improve their times. So, we’ll need to step up our game as well. I feel prepared and ready for the challenge ahead.”
Meanwhile, Martin’s closest title contender, Brad Binder, failed to secure a spot in the top ten and will need to participate in Qualifying 1 to advance.
Adding to the strong showing for Pramac Ducati, Franco Morbidelli clinched seventh place, further bolstering the team’s performance as he continues to make up for lost testing time.
