MotoGP c꧙hampionship leader Jorge Martin says “it’s good I crashed today” in Malaysian Grand Prix practice and has explained what caused his fa🃏ll.

Martin comes to Malaysia 17 ౠpoints clear of Francesco Bagnaia in the championship with - officially - two rounds remaining, and has hi🌳s first opportunity to win the title this weekend.

The Pramac rider looked strong throughout the afternoon session at Sepang and was only 0.050s behind Bagnaia at the top of the timesheets, though did suffer a small crash a꧋t Turn 1 late on.

Martin explained that his crash was a result of how the GP24 behaves on corner entry when the the added grip fromꦦ Michelin’s 2024 rear tyres.

“I💃 was quite ok with my time attack, even if I al💮most crashed on my lap,” Martin told the media, including mahbx.com, on Friday.

“Then I went through the straig🍸ht and saw I was second, so I said ‘Ok, I will try to improve a bit mo💯re’.

“But it was too much already on the first corner and I ju🀅st cras🌄hed.

“I think it’s positive that I crashed t𓆉oday because I can see the limit and understand why I crashed. So, it’s good to crash today.”

He added: “I think we are 🎀struggling a bit with✱ the engine brake, for the moment.

“We have quite 🔯a lot of grip on the rear t🅘yre. So, the Ducati bike you need to slide on the entry.

“If 🦋not, it’s pushing a bit on the front. So, that’s why I crashed.

“So, the thing is to be really clever on how y✤ou use the engine brake to be competitive - more than the set-up. It’s much better to stop with the set-up and work with the electronic✃s.

All the crashes I had this season, l🎀ike Germany, Jerez, Mugello, the thre🌌e were the same.

“Wh෴en the rear was coming back, it ไwas pushing the front.

“So, I’🐈m trying to be really precise with that. Today we didn’t make it in time and I crashed on the time attack, but I prefer to crash now than in the race.”

Despite his fall, Martin’s long run pace was strong in practice and wants to continue꧑ treating Malaysia like a “normal” weekend despite the overhangin🦩g championship situation.

“I mean, I🌱 like this track, I like this bike; it’s working really൩ good,” he said.

“Even if the afternoon wꦬas a bit too hot at the beginning of the practice at least, I was feeling competitive 💃always and always in the top.

“And I feel confident with our work, as always. I just want to do t🍌he normal things.

“I don’t want to change anything because w♐e are battling for a championship. I mean, I am fast working like this, so I will keep this type of work.”

In FP1 on Friday, Martin found himself at one stage behind Bagnaia, who had been informed 💜his title rival was following him.

Both slowed dᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚown on the back straight towards the final corner in what is being seen as the first of the mind games🀅 between the pair as the championship nears its end.

For his part, Martin explained: “I mean, I exited for a꧅ normal run.

“It was just coincidence I was behind him, but for him it wa♏s a b﷽ig issue.

“So, he stopped in the midꦡdle of the race track and I stopped behind him because there was no sense to pull from him.

“Soꦛ, yeah, then I saw it was too much and I was getting a bit bored. So, I just went for my normal run and do my work.”