The 2023 championship runner-up put in a controlled performance last Sunday in Portugal to score his first grand prix win since last year’s Thailand GP.
With erstwhile championship leader Francesco Bagnaia crashing out in a controversial tangle with Marc Marquez, Martin now leads the standings by 18 points.
Martin says defending the lead he took from third on the grid at Turn 3 on the opening lap was “key” to a win that proved to be somewhat emotional for the Spaniard.
In his rookie year in 2021, he suffered a violent incident in practice at Turn 7 at the Algarve track in which he sustained multiple fractures that almost curtailed his career.
“I think this consistency is the most important thing and today the key thing was the start,” Martin told MotoGP’s After the Flag on Sunday.
Source: Autosport