Ahead of the MotoGP weekend at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, Raul Fernandez delivered a clear message regarding his physical condition. The Trackhouse rider admitted that he had to pay close attention to his body's signals after suffering a finger fracture during the Indonesian Grand Prix on October 11. Thanks to extra rehabilitation sessions with his personal physiotherapist back home, he managed to accelerate his recovery process just in time.
The ultimate real-world test followed on Friday. The Spanish rider immediately positioned himself seventh in the opening free practice session, but more importantly, he secured a direct spot in Qualifying 2 by finishing fifth in the practice session. Even though everything did not go entirely to plan, the 26-year-old was satisfied with the progress.
"The injury still hurts and my flexibility is not completely restored yet. However, I am finally able to ride with my natural style again," Raul Fernandez stated following Friday's track action. This marked a massive improvement compared to his struggles in recent weeks.
During the Australian round at Phillip Island, his hand condition made it nearly impossible to push, and he was forced to sit out the subsequent Malaysian Grand Prix. "The fracture was not yet healed in Australia. The body gives you clear signals then: you should be careful and not do anything foolish," he explained regarding the physical limitations.
His improved physical condition was immediately reflected in his lap times at the Qatar venue. The rider carrying number 25 was three tenths of a second faster than his teammate Ai Ogura, who finished ninth. Regaining consistency was another major positive, as he did not experience the severe hand discomfort that hampered him after just a few laps in previous events.
Meanwhile, Aprilia's RS-GP package proved exceptionally well-suited to the Lusail circuit layout. All four riders aboard Aprilia machinery successfully booked their places in Q2, underscoring the strong baseline performance of the bike, although the outright lap record remained in the hands of Ducati.
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