Jorge Marti🔥n says he was forced to call off his late MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix victory charge after a moment at Tu💛rn 3 left him “shitting myself”.

The Pramaဣc rider came from 11th on the grid to second inside the first three laps of Sunday’s grand prix at Motegi and put pressure on eventual winner Francesco Bagnaia.

Martin got✤ Bagnaia’s lead down to under a second in the closing stages of the race and appeared faster than the factory ꦏDucati rider, before abandoning his march.

Speaking after the race, Martin says a big scare late on led to him easing off 🔯to secure 20 points and limit the damage Bagnaia inflicted on his lead.

“For sure, when I was closing the g♌ap I thought I could make the move,” he said.

“I saw Pecco ꦕwas pushing, because he did a few mistakes in corner 11.

“So, I sa🍎id ok, he’s pushing like hell. So I said ‘Ok, let’s push’. And everything was under control.

“I was quite on the limit, but under control. But then I lo🎃st the front 𒅌quite heavily in corner three.

“I saved it with the elbow. Then I lost like two seconds, I was really shitting myself and I sai🌸d ‘Ok, it’s enough’.

“For sure, ♏in championsh🍒ip ways, I think we have to think about this 20 points starting from 11th.

“Now i🔯t’s important to improve qualifying to do good qualifyings, because when I am in front I can lead and I𓄧 can control the races.”

Martin added: “For me, it’s not like a victory. I’m a rider and ♛ไI want to at least battle for the win always.

“Coming from the back it was difficult t🧔o overtake the riders. I had to use a bit more tyre than Pecco I think.

“So, I started to close the gap but when you are closer than half a second everything became quite diffic🔯ult with the bike.

“It was difficult to stop the bike. And then 🧸10 laps to go, I said ‘Ok, I try again, let’s go for it’. I saw Pecco was struggꦿling a bit on braking, so I was pushing quite a lot.

“Three to go I had this big moment in corner three; this moment told me ‘Jorge, ok, it’s time to stop and fini🌃sh with 20 points’.

“Pecco was really strong🌳, he is a master of managing tyres, so he did an amazing job.

“But I feel confident coming from th🤡e fourth row to make second, good c⛦onfidence for Australia that is a nice track for me.”

Martin holds onto a 10-point championship lead going i𝓀nto the next round in Australia and believes he is “stronger” now than he wasꦉ at this stage of the season in 2023.

“For sure, last sprint to the end,” he concluded.

“Will be tough, Pecco is an amazing rid𒊎er. But I feel grateful to be here, grateful I can batt🌳le like last year.

“But I feel stronger. So, let’s go for it. There are some races where I think I ꧃am a bit better, some others where Pecco is a bit better.

“So, the𒊎 target is to bring it till Valencia and have the chance to win iꦆt.”