MotoGP rookie Jorge Martin begins big bike era at Cartagena

The cancellation of the Sepang tests means MotoGP rookie Jorge Martin now needs to wait until March to climb onboard a Desmosedici for the first time.

But the new Pramac Ducati rider, Moto3 world champion in 2018 then a double race winner in Moto2 last season (despite missing two rounds due to Covid), has at least been able to kick off his 'big bike' era by taking to the Cartagena circuit with an 1100cc Panigale V4S road bike.

MotoGP rookie Jorge Martin begins big bike era at Cartagena

The cancellation of the Sepang tests means MotoGP rookie Jorge Martin now needs to wait until March to climb onboard a Desmosedici for the first time.

But the new Pramac Ducati rider, Moto3 world champion in 2018 then a double race winner in Moto2 last season (despite missing two rounds due to Covid), has at least been able to kick off his 'big bike' era by taking to the Cartagena circuit with an 1100cc Panigale V4S road bike.

"The beginning of a new era for me! After two months without the road bike but today I had great feeling! Looking forward to keep work!" Martin, making his 'debut' in Pramac Ducati leathers, wrote on Instagram.

The Spaniard is one of three Moto2 riders joining the premier-class this season. All will be riding Ducatis, although Martin will have a GP20 at the Pramac team while Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini have GP19s at Avintia.

500GP race winner and MotoGP pit lane reporter Simon Crafar was impressed by the 22-year-old's lap time on an almost stock machine:

For comparison, Luke Mossey set the Cartagena BSB lap record with a time of 1m 32.330s, on a Kawasaki ZX-10R in 2017.

Martin, Marini and Bezzecchi are now scheduled to make their MotoGP debuts at the start of the Qatar Shakedown test on March 5. The trio will have just six days of MotoGP track time before the season-opening Losail race.

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