Jorge Martin fastest; “I was the target today” as Marc Marquez seeks a tow

Jorge Martin shrugged off a tow attempt by Marc Marquez to go fastest on Friday at the British MotoGP.

Pramac’s Martin topped the timesheet of both sessions at Silverstone to lay down an ominous marker for the rest of the weekend.

He did so despite an attempt from Gresini’s Marquez to profit from a tow behind him.

• 2024 British MotoGP, Silverstone - Friday Practice Results

“What happened is what you saw,” Martin reacted afterwards to media including Crash.net.

“I closed [the gas], he closed…

“I was the target today, you could see. I tried to do my best lap time.

“It’s harder when you have a strong rider behind you. But it was no problem.”

Martin arrives at Silverstone second in the championship, 10 points behind champion Pecco Bagnaia.

He had led for much of the season until Bagnaia’s form exploded before the summer break.

Martin admitted: “Being honest, I was on the beach and it was difficult to come back!

“After Sachsenring, I didn’t have that desire to come back.

“But coming back here, it’s the best track. Being first in both sessions was the best way to come back.”

Martin endured costly crashes in Jerez and Germany which allowed Bagnaia to catch him, then overtake him, in the championship.

The Ducati 2025 drama was also playing out - a storyline which Martin lost, before he signed for Aprilia next year.

Jorge Martin finds 'the cause' of crashes

On Friday at Silverstone, he believes he has found the reason for his recent crashes.

“There were issues in the evening, we changed the bike a bit,” he said.

“There was a part on the bike which, for the past two seasons, I had a different one to the factory riders, and the rest of the Ducatis.

“So we think it may be the cause of the crashes.

“I had some doubts because when I tested it, I didn’t like it. But even with the doubts I felt better.

“For sure, there are weak points and we need to keep working on it.

“It’s pushing the front tyre less. I can slide a bit more into the corners.

“I lose a bit of stability. But this was the first day with it. We can control it, for the moment.

“It’s on the limit but we can control it.”

The closest rider to Martin on Friday afternoon was his best friend, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Martin said: “From my side I feel stronger than last season.

“There are two, three or four riders who can win. Luckily, I am one of them!

“I hope either [Aleix] pulls away or I pull away. I don’t want a battle with him.

“It’s a bit more difficult with Aleix than with another rider.”