Martin feeling ‘on the limit with performance, praying for dry race’

The MotoGP title contender was second fastest behind fellow Ducati rider Alex Marquez, with both riders breaking into the 1m 57s barrier.

Martin was the first rider to do that before Marquez found even more time with his final effort. 

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But the Spaniard was not completely convinced by the performance shown, as he feels on the limit already.

“The target was to go directly through to Q2; we had some issues with the strategy because I put the [fastest] tyre in during the morning and had to change the strategy,” Martin told MotoGP.com. 

“But finally, I was able to go fast in both attempts. In terms of pace we are super strong and riding under 1m 58s is an impressive time. 

“We will see in the morning but we are already on the limit with performance. It will be complicated to improve.

“In time attack mode I made some mistakes so I will have more tomorrow. 

“In terms of pace we just need to work for the end of the race because we didn't arrive for the whole distance.”

Like Thailand and Japan, the Malaysian Grand Prix is usually known for its unpredictable weather, which could spice up the action at Sepang as the weekend develops.

For Martin, performance in both dry and wet conditions has been a huge strength in 2023, but that doesn’t change the fact that having a dry race is by far his preferred option. 

Martin added: “I feel strong in the dry and this is so important. Last time it was wet I won so I’m confident everything can go well. But I’m praying for a dry race tomorrow.”