Martín's return to the track went "better than expected"

That's it, the plate with the number 1 rolled in MotoGP this season! Jorge Martín took part in the first two practice sessions for the Qatar Grand Prix, the fourth round of the 2025 world championship. Still struggling with his left arm, the Spaniard logically finished at the bottom of the standings (twentieth in both sessions), but the main thing was elsewhere. After having a very difficult time stringing together laps during the first session of the day, Martín was able to complete longer stints in the evening. This is proof that the Aprilia rider's physical condition will improve day by day.

"I feel good. Today the goal was to see how I felt on a MotoGP bike.", he explained to the official website of the championship. “I think the day was a success, I was able to do a lot of laps on the bike. Of course, my fitness was a concern, I struggled a lot in the morning, I even had trouble doing two laps in a row. In the evening, I was able to switch to four or five-lap stints, and I think that's a big difference, things are going in the right direction. I started giving feedback to the team, which was what we mainly wanted, we're taking it step by step.”

Persistent pain but morale intact

In addition to the pain in his left arm, where he suffered the most fractures this winter, the Spaniard has to deal with the right side of his body putting more strain on him. The result is the onset of compartment syndrome in his right arm, which is inevitably under more strain. Confident, Jorge Martín knows it will take time to return to a satisfactory physical level, and he certainly doesn't want to rush things. The fact that he already suffered a major injury in his first season in the premier class must also help him see things from a different perspective.

“I took a lot of painkillers, so at the end of the day, I'm fine. I even feel more pain in my ribs than in my left hand! In response to the pain on the bike, I work a lot more with the right side of my body, so I'm having difficulty. I'm feeling a bit of compartment syndrome in my right arm as a result. I'll need time to get back up to speed and get back to my best physically. For me, it's like we're on the first day of winter testing, so I have to take my time and stay calm.”

An unchanged driving style

One thing is certain, even if his body is not yet 100% ready, Martín has lost none of the style that propelled him to the top of his sport last year: "I think I felt better than expected on the bike. From the first lap, I was putting my elbow on the ground, so I didn't lose my riding style, that's for sure! At least it makes for nice photos, so that's not bad, right? More seriously, the most important thing is that I can ride the bike normally and without taking any unnecessary risks."

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