All charged up, but equally aware that in this 2025 it's going to be tough for him to repeat what he did last year, Jorge Martin is not giving in.
On the strength of a World Championship that he won with an official bike, but in an albeit special satellite team like Pramac, once again he will try to pull the rabbit out of the hat and if nothing else to cause trouble for the super-favorite Ducati Lenovo pairing of Bagnaia-Marquez who, for sure, will be trying to excel inside the red garage.
Of course, Jorge does not yet know the type of work he will face in Sepang, having tested the Aprilia only once in Barcelona. The RS-GP '25, moreover, is a completely new bike so the Spaniard will do a few laps with the RS-GP '24 before trying his new mount.
"I will have to adapt to the bike and try new things. I don't think it will take long to get to the balance, but only once I understand the limit will I be able to give realistic feedback. So it will be up to me to dictate the timing in this regard."
Do you judge this to be the most difficult challenge of your career?
"To go from being world champion to riding an Aprilia is not easy, however, no, I don't consider it as such because for example in Moto3 I was forced to stay at home for a long time, but then I got a better bike and in Moto2 with KTM it was a great challenge."
Did you have time to recover during the break?
"Yes, not in December though because I had to deal with so many events and commitments that I would rather not have, but then in January at home when I started preparing for this championship I relaxed. Having said that, without pressure I don't perform, so I also had to find the desire to win again."
Has winning changed the way you move in the paddock?
"I would say how I move in general because I know I was the best. The approach to work, however, has remained the same because if it has worked so far, it is right to continue that way. I, however, do not have such an ego that I consider myself the best, the number 1. I was the best in 2024, that's all."
Where can Aprilia go in your opinion?
"In my opinion it already has all the right ingredients, it just needs to put everything together. I think this project will again lead to great things."
What do you think these tests will tell you?
"Tomorrow I will already have some more information about the bike, but only at the end of the three days will we have a clearer idea of where we are."
How are you getting along with the team?
"The team is great and has done a great job over the winter. Being very involved in the project I try to know everything about the development process, however, until contact with the track it will not be possible for me to make predictions. Let's say we are still not a family like in Pramac, but I brought someone from Ducati and then I knew some of the staff by hanging out with Aleix Espargarò. Overall I have a very good relationship with everyone, bosses included, and the atmosphere is good."
Do you have more or less pressure than in 2024?
"For now, I don't have any. I just aim to be the best version of myself. When I arrived at Noale everyone set success as a target, instead, in my opinion we mainly have to give our best. The potential is high, we just need to find out to what extent. This year the key word is responsibility and that is a lot. As said, I feel relaxed now, a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I just want to give my best."
Are you friends with Aleix would you have liked to have him as a tester?
"I already knew before I signed that he was going to leave, certainly I would have liked to share the team with him, whether he was a rider or a test rider, but life is like that, but he still helped me a lot to understand the company, so I'm adapting quickly."
Will the bike you will use in the first session be the one from Barcelona?
"Yes, but I don't have any information about it because they wanted me to be free from the conditioning of the feelings of the test riders."
How long will it take you to get up to speed?
"I don't think that's the point because speed is achieved quickly, it's more about adaptation and figuring out when to push and when not to."
