Jorge Martín, rider for Aprilia Racing, is optimistic ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, despite dealing with an injury resulting from an accident in Australia two weeks ago. After missing the race in Sepang, Martín has regained strength and completed a significant number of laps at Losail, demonstrating that he has the necessary pace to compete at the highest level.
On his first day of testing, Martín managed to access Qualifying 2 directly, a fact that indicates he has a chance to score points if he can stay in the race. ‘If I can manage it well, the first two rows are a realistic goal,’ the rider commented.
The next sprint, scheduled for Saturday, will be run over 11 laps, while the main race on Sunday will consist of 22 laps. Martín is looking to accumulate at least seven points during both competitions to keep his championship hopes alive until the Portugal Grand Prix, which will take place in two weeks.
His rival, Marc Márquez, needs to surpass Martín by at least 30 points over the weekend in Losail. Martín, who is getting used to racing in pain, admits that the situation is tough but remains confident. ‘The brake is not a problem, but the direction changes are very complicated, and I realize that it hurts when I move,’ he explained. Additionally, he emphasized that despite the injury, he feels better than in Malaysia.
With the commitment to continue adapting, Martín acknowledges that his confidence was affected after the accident, but his performance in the Qatar tests has given him a boost. ‘I set my personal best time here, so it can’t be that bad,’ he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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