Jorge Martin says he is riding the Phillip Island circuit with his instinctive Ducati riding style, which is why he was the slowest Aprilia at the end of MotoGP Australian Grand Prix Practice.
The 2024 world champion was rapid around Phillip Island in his Ducati days, claiming three pole positions between 2022 and 2024.
But he missed last year’s Australian Grand Prix due to injury, with this season’s Phillip Island trip his first on the Aprilia.
As such, he is lacking in data compared to his Aprilia stablemates.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing, 2026 Australian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
“The problem here seems more significant”
Martin told the media, as reported Motorsport, on Friday at Phillip Island that he is charging into the corners too quickly, as if he is on a Ducati.
Because of the circuit’s fast, flowing layout, that issue is accentuated.
Finishing fifth and last of the Aprilias on Friday, Martin explained: “It’s a problem I had before and still have.
“I try to enter [the corners] very fast and then I’m a bit late with [picking up] the throttle.
“So, yes, here the problem seems more significant; it’s more noticeable, because you need a lot of speed coming out of the corners.
“Now I try to brake and enter slowly, but then it works out well for me on the exit.”
Martin added that his current riding style was “destroying” the front tyre, but overall felt his pace was not far off where it needed to be.
“I think I broke my lap record here, my personal best, so I'm happy,” he said.
“I definitely needed to adapt to the Aprilia's style because I couldn't be here last year.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing, 2026 Australian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
“I'm very used to riding here with the Ducati, so I was trying to push hard entering the corners, but I was destroying the front tyres, so I had to readjust my style a bit.
“In the afternoon, I felt much better, much more balanced.”
Martin was also slower than chief title rival Marc Marquez after Friday Practice, with the Ducati rider third-fastest.
The pair are split by just two points coming into this weekend.
If Saturday’s sprint were to finish as Practice did, the pair would go into Sunday’s grand prix level on points.
Lewis joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having been a journalist for five years covering MotoGP for the Motorsport Network. In February of 2026, he became Head of Editorial.