Riding at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Martin only needed to finish ninth in the final grand prix of the year to secure the premier class championship.

Factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia controlled the race from the front, having to hope Martin would suffer some ill fortune.

Ultimately, it never came. Martin finished third behind Bagnaia and Gresini’s Marc Marquez.

In the end, Martin beat Bagnaia by 10 points in the championship.

Martin’s season was defined by consistency. The Spaniard only won three grands prix this year, in stark contrast to Bagnaia’s whopping 11.

The ‘Martinator’ was something of a Sprint specialist this year, finishing 17 of the 20 races on the podium.

Retirements ultimately curtailed Bagnaia’s bid for a third straight world championship.

“It sounds amazing, I don’t know what to say. I’m completely shocked,” Martin said.

“This is for my people, for my family, for the people that are supporting me, this is for them.

“The last laps I couldn’t even ride, I started crying a bit. It was a really emotional race. And yes thanks to my people, it’s for them, completely for them.

“It’s been a long journey, a lot of crashes, big injuries and finally we are back here. So thanks to all the people, thanks to the fans, it is also for Valencia — a Spanish rider.

“I hope we can keep improving and enjoy the moment. This is the most important thing. Leave the pressure and enjoy the moment.”

Bagnaia praised Martin for his campaign, and admitted the non-finishes had hurt his chances.

“We knew from the start that it would have been difficult to turn things around, but we still did what we had to do,” said the Italian.

“Jorge did a good job and the centre stage is all for him today, he really is a great rider.

“We proved our worth this year and our numbers confirm it; in the future we will surely have to minimise the mistakes and DNFs, which are in any case a part of this sport.

“Each season is important and there’s nothing wrong with losing; it was still a 2024 full of satisfaction, despite the final result. We’ll give it another go next year.”

Martin will depart Pramac to join Aprilia in 2025. Pramac will switch from Ducati bikes to Yamaha next year with Australia’s Jack Miller to join Miguel Oliveira.

Results: MotoGP Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona,. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya