until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Styrian Grand Prix pole position qualifier Jorge Martin comes into the second half of the 2021 MotoGP season revitalised and recuperated from the injuries he suffered in the opening part of the year.
Pramac Ducati rookie Martin crashed heavily on an out-lap during practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix back in April, needing three separate repair surgeries on fractures to his right thumb, right ankle and left knee.
Missing the next three races before making a return to action at the Catalan Grand Prix in June, he wasn’t able to find his form in the three remaining rounds before the summer break, twice finishing outside the top 10 before being forced to pull over at the Dutch TT as he continued to suffer the lingering effects of his accident in Portugal.
It means that his season has very much gone from high to low, with his performances leading into the five-week summer break a long way removed from the incredible pace he demonstrated at the start of the season, when he scored a pole position and podium in Qatar in only his second ever race in the premier class.
However, now fully recovered from those injuries and finally able to use his summer holiday to focus his training on the areas he needed to target, he says pole position at the Red Bull Ring is the launchpad he needs.
“After the Assen race, I had a muscle injury in my bicep,” said Martin.
“I went to the doctor and they recommended that I stop my training for a week and a half, and afterwards I worked really specifically on some parts of the body where I was struggling the most, like my hands and my shoulders.
“Feeling some strength was important for me, and now I can see the results. Everything feels good and that’s important.
“At the last race in Assen I had to retire because of my physical condition, and I was super angry at myself.
“I could transform this situation, use it for motivation, and I used it during the summer break.
“Now I feel a lot better, maybe not quite 100% and for sure I might struggle a bit in the last laps, but I feel a lot better.”
While the physical recovery he’s made might be the biggest factor in his return to what he does best – absolutely pulverise his opponents in time attack mode – he says that there’s another more important element: how the physical recovery has aided him mentally in returning to full confidence.
“I felt confident after the podium in Qatar; my mind was more free,” he explained.
“It means that I’m not focused on the podium. I’m here to work.
“This weekend I feel more confident again for sure.
“I think it’ll be difficult to battle for the win, but I feel confident to fight for the podium.
“I’m going to try to have a really good pace, try to lead if I can, and try to follow if I can’t. Let’s see at the end what I can do.”
