Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin has enjoyed a successful MotoGP return at the Grand Prix of Qatar and has managed to be competitive all weekend.
The Spaniard had a hairy moment during qualifying after misjudging his braking point for turn one and nearly placing his Aprilia bike in the gravel.
Apart from that, Martin has looked settled and not entirely like a man who refused to hop onto a bike before returning to the track.
With 19 rounds of the MotoGP season to go, he can afford to use the Grand Prix of Qatar as an event which can put him back on the right track towards full recovery and fitness.
Nobody predicted what Martin did in Qatar, as he managed to overtake rival Francesco Bagnaia on pure merit.
Martin proved Neil Hodgson right by pushing hard on Saturday, after insisting that he wouldn’t be pushing 100% during his first weekend back.
READ MORE: Aprilia star Jorge Martin knows he’ll ‘get injured again’ if he does one thing at Qatar Grand Prix
Jorge Martin ‘tired’ with poor positioning on Aprilia’s MotoGP bike at the Grand Prix of Qatar
By all means, finishing the race would be an excellent achievement for Martin on Sunday, given his lack of preparation and determination to rush back without being at full capacity.
It’ll be an opportunity for him to complete a race distance on an Aprilia, possibly for the first time since joining them over the winter.
Speaking after qualifying, the reigning champion was pleased with his performance, as he was just one position away from making Q2.
“I’m happy with the qualifying because I was on the verge of getting to Q2. But my body limits me a lot, and in the end, I had no strength in my right arm because I’m trying to compensate for everything with that arm,” he told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com.
“I’m not well positioned on the bike and that makes me a lot more tired. There’s a lot of work to do in terms of positioning on the bike.”
Martin can unlock two things on Aprilia’s bike to add extra pace, and the positioning of his bike may be a third. If he’s near the points now, he could be in contention for victories by the end of the year.
READ MORE: MotoGP cameras capture Jorge Martin doing something that raises concerns at Qatar Grand Prix
Why Aprilia will be delighted with Jorge Martin’s Grand Prix of Qatar return
Although Ai Ogura has managed to spring a surprise for Trackhouse, Aprilia’s start to the 2025 campaign has been largely underwhelming.
Test rider Lorenzo Savadori replaced Martin for the opening three rounds and was unable to do much of note. He secured just one point.
Marco Bezzecchi tried to pick up the slack and scored two sixth places either side of a lap one retirement in Argentina, but the team could be sat second in the constructors’ standings with a fully functioning factory operation.
Martin’s return is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. The Spanish Grand Prix in two weeks could be an extra boost for him considering it’s his home race.
The motivation and extra time to heal will put his team in an even better position, and potentially in contention for a podium.
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