Just seven days after raising the white flag in Sepang due to a fresh fracture in his right wrist, Jorge Martin staged a remarkable turnaround in the desert paddock. The physical pain that forced him to abort the Malaysian weekend and fly back to Spain seemed a distant memory as the Spaniard immediately found his competitive rhythm during the opening sessions at the Lusail International Circuit.
Not only did the Aprilia star complete all scheduled running without major setbacks, but the rider known as the Martinator also secured seventh place in the crucial practice session, locking in a direct ticket to Q2. Throughout Friday's action, his pace remained consistently inside the top ten, signaling an impressive recovery of both speed and physical endurance aboard his machine.
"It is a shame that I did not feel the way I do today back in Malaysia. Things are significantly better now. Even though there is still pain, I am able to ride consistently for multiple laps at a time," Martin explained after the session. "At first it was much harder, especially under heavy braking where I had to run wide a few times due to a lack of strength in my hand. But that improved as well, and if I can make another step forward in strength by Saturday, I am feeling very confident for Sunday."
Despite the positive result, the single-lap time attack format continues to expose the limitations of his recovering wrist. The extreme deceleration forces required at Lusail place massive stress on the joint, yet his sheer determination allowed him to extract enough performance to bypass Q1 entirely. Looking ahead to the grid-deciding shootout, the target is clear: securing a row two starting slot.
"The hardest part is during time attacks, that is where the limitation affects me the most. It cost me some time even on my fastest laps, but it was good enough to get into Q2. I can imagine that if everything goes well, securing a spot on the second row during qualifying is a realistic objective," he added. With intense battles expected against rivals like Marc Marquez, the stage is set for a thrilling continuation of the 2026 title fight.
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