Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin qualified 12th on his return from injury at the Czech Grand Prix. Making it in Q2 can be regarded as a success, though he will naturally want more.
Martin hasn’t ridden a MotoGP bike competitively since the Qatar GP three months ago. He broke 11 ribs and punctured a lung in that race.
The world champion tested the Aprilia at Misano recently in preparation. He was outstanding on Friday afternoon as he sailed into Q2 with P5, but couldn’t carry that pace into Saturday morning.
Teammate Marco Bezzecchi qualified fourth, three-tenths off Francesco Bagnaia’s pole time. Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez also highlighted the potential of the bike by securing a spot on the second row.
Jorge Martin’s near-miss in Czech Grand Prix qualifying proves he wasn’t being cautious
Speaking to DAZN on Friday, Aprilia’s Paolo Bonora made it clear that Martin should ‘take it easy’ on his first weekend back. He could then be more aggressive after completing further training during the summer break.
Martin is at an enormous mileage disadvantage compared to his rivals. He barely featured in pre-season testing before picking up his first injury, and a subsequent crash sidelined him for the first three rounds.
“He has to take it easy,” Bonora said. “The other drivers have 6,000 kilometres under their belts, so we have to treat it like preseason. In three races, we’ll start to know what his level is.”
“We don’t have any expectations. He has to take it easy.”
But Martin couldn’t rein in his competitive instincts. A replay from the final moments of Q2 shows that he was pushing extremely hard and certainly not ‘taking it easy’.
Having just about stayed within track limits on the exit, he dipped a wheel in the grass, which naturally unsettled his bike. Aprilia’s priority is for their superstar rider to make it through the weekend unscathed.
Fear struck Jorge Martin in his first MotoGP session after injury
It’s clear that the #1 rider isn’t fully fit. Martin’s father was seen putting his glove on in the garage – potentially a legacy of his wrist injury from the winter.
Speaking just after his first session back on Friday, Martin admitted he was ‘really scared’. He had to navigate treacherous track conditions after some morning rain.
- READ MORE: What Jorge Martin was heard saying as he left emotional MotoGP press conference at Czech Grand Prix
In his exclusive press conference before the weekend, Martin revealed that he feared for his life after the severe Qatar accident. He became emotional as he discussed the support of his father and girlfriend.
While the Spaniard is finally back, Tech3’s Maverick Vinales, VR46’s Franco Morbidelli and Somkiat Chantra are all missing the Czech Grand Prix through injury.
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