Martin: “There is war between factories and Michelin, can go 3-4 seconds faster”

Michelin have made it clear to MotoGP teams what the minimum requirements for tyre pressures are, but Martin, who is one of many to speak out against the tyre company in recent months, feels as though the current pressure regulations are sometimes dangerous as opposed to being safer.

Being safer is of course Michelin’s goal with their current tyre pressure demands, which include a minimum of 1.9 bar (27.6psi) on the front and 1.7 bar (24.7psi) on the rear. 

• Ducati “now understand” why Bautista makes the difference after MotoGP test 
• Fabio Quartararo to undergo X-ray after Amsterdam accident

However, those same minimum tyre pressures have led to riders encountering problems during races, especially when following other riders as the pressures fluctuate and can sometimes rise to the point where riders lose grip and crash out. 

That’s one of the concerns Martin raised when speaking to MyBettingSites.co.uk, while also claiming that current MotoGP bikes could be even faster without the restrictions imposed by Michelin.

Martin said: "It’s a pity that we are limited by the tyres. I think the bikes are at a level that the tyres haven’t arrived yet. I think we can go 3-4 seconds faster but at the end of the day, we arrive at the limit of the tyres.”

"So yeah it’s a pity also that we need to have that tyre pressure that we need to go. Because if not, I think we can be even faster.”

"Sometimes Michelin asks us to be at a tyre pressure that is even dangerous because we feel like we’re crashing every corner.”

"There is a war between the factories and Michelin. I know Michelin wants to be safe and not have any problems with the tyre but teams always want to go even lower. It’s a big war that is making every race."

Martin, who was a one-time sprint race winner heading into last weekend’s German Grand Prix weekend, claimed a stunning double as he won both races ahead of Francesco Bagnaia.

Now just 16 points behind the factory Ducati rider in the standings, Martin is ready to push on and become a title contender now that he has an engine that allows him to get the most out of his bike and himself, as opposed to the ‘hybrid’ engine he used last season. 

"We changed the engine from last season which I knew was not the same one as in the factory team but I thought it would be better," added Martin. 

"At the end of the day, I struggled quite a lot. I was missing a lot of throttle management and the contact between the throttle and the torque was not ideal.”

"This year, on the first lap in the new engine, I felt a lot better. The braking is much better, a point I was struggling with the most last season.”

"Now I can fight, I can brake late, fight back when someone overtakes me. So it’s quite a big change and in the end, it reflects on the results.”

"We always struggle with the rear grip. Not only Ducati but all the brands are disappointed. It is never enough. The more grip you have, the better you go at the end of the race.”

"That’s a point where they’re still working, bringing new frames, also swingarms. There are lots of ways to improve that and I know it’s difficult. We’re still working on that."