Mahindra rookie Martin shines in the wet in Japan

Japan, 11 October 2015:
Mapfre Team Mahindra rider Jorge Martin shone in dire conditions at the Motegi circuit, forging through from 23rd on the grid to finish 11th in today’s weather-stricken Japanese Grand Prix.

The 17-year-old Spaniard, in his first grand prix season after winning the Red Bull Rookies Cup, was less than two tenths of a second away from a third top ten finish of the season; and it was his ninth time in 15 races to finish in the points.

Martin had qualified way back on the eighth row of the grid; but when race day dawned wet and misty, he showed his strength by setting fastest time in the delayed warm-up session.

He sustained the pace in the race, and was rapidly climbing through the field to take over as the leading MGP3O Mahindra – the only Indian machine in world championship racing.

But with so many riders ahead and the planned 20-lap race cut to only 13 due to weather delays, the chequered flag stopped his progress just before he moved into the top ten.

The race brought disappointment to senior team-mate Pecco Bagnaia, who had qualified tenth and was confident of his dry-weather pace. In the wet, however, he was troubled by a sliding rear tyre, and dropped to 15th, at least adding one point to the team’s score.

But independent Mahindra rider Tatsuki Suzuki rider (CIP Mahindra) had home-race joy with his second points of his rookie season, finishing 13th.

The race – round 15 of 18 – is the first of three flyaway GPs in a row, with the Australian GP next week, and the Malaysian one week later.

JORGE MARTIN – Eleventh Place
It was a really difficult race, because I started so far away, really at the back of the grid. In the first laps there was a lot of pushing and it was so difficult to improve my position, but then I was able to get my own pace, catch some other riders, and gain places.…

MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO, Mahindra Racing
It was a strange and in the end a slightly disappointing day. Jorge had a brilliant ride, and I am sure that if he had started higher up on the grid he would have had a really good finish. He is clearly the fastest Mahindra rider in the rain, as he showed in the warm-up. Conditions were different from the morning, and perhaps that caused problems for Pecco, who lost places in the race. We need to look into the cause of his difficulties.