Race winning MotoGP rookie Jorge Martin admits he will need to ‘face his fears’ as he returns to Portimao this weekend.
Fresh from pole and a podium in Doha, the Pramac Ducati rider suffered multiple hand and leg fractures during a massive accident in practice for the April Portimao event, keeping him sidelined for the next three rounds.
The young Spaniard spent the following races rebuilding his fitness and confidence before a perfect start to the second half of the season with victory in Styria, then a further podium a week later.
But the five races since have been less spectacular and Martin returns to Portimao having been pondering possible surgery for a muscle problem with his left leg.
“Yeah I what [thinking] of surgery right away after Misano. Finally, the decision was to make a kind of therapy, which I’ve been doing during these two weeks and I hope I don’t have this problem again. And in case we do have this problem [again] after Jerez test [November} I will make surgery… to be as fit as possible for next year.”
Martin’s issue, which described as ‘leg pump’ is unrelated to his earlier injuries. He previously struggled with it at Aragon, where Factory Ducati rider Jack Miller also experienced a similar issue.
“I was having some issues with my leg, and trying to shift. The lever felt quite difficult and I kept making some mistakes on the gearbox,” Miller said at the time. ” I really started to struggle and I was having to use basically my whole leg to shift. It was really weird.”
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“In Aragon I had this problem,” confirmed Martin, who revealed he opted for the same treatment as the Australian. “I spoke with Jack because he also had the problem so he did this therapy and after he didn’t have a problem, so that’s why I tried it and I hope I won’t have problems here.
“It’s leg pump. It’s like the same issue as we normally have on the arm, but on the leg. I hope it will be better.”
Physical issues aside, Martin admitted this weekend will also present something of a mental challenge.
“Sincerely, after I knew [MotoGP] what’s coming back here [in November], I think it was in the middle of the season, I told my team, ‘Okay I will be positive for Covid!’ so I will not be there!” he smiled.
“But at the end of the day I need to face my fears and face the problem I have here and just try to learn the track well and be consistent for next year.
“Now I feel ready to ride here, but I think all the year when I knew we were coming back to Portimao I was a bit scared because at the end of day it changed a bit my life.
“After this crash I didn’t know if I could be back on the bike again, so it will be strange for sure when I pass corner 7, I will be a bit more relaxed than last time.”
Despite scoring in only half of the 16 rounds, Martin is just five points behind Ducati GP19 rider Enea Bastianini for Rookie of the Year honours
“For sure it’s on the mind. Let’s see. It’s close. I didn’t race here last time so maybe here is not the best place to fight, but I’m confident for Valencia. It will be so close and it will be nice,” Martin said of the Bastianini battle.
Martin, who has a factory GP21, will again have the latest spec Ducati as he remains at Pramac, alongside Johann Zarco, for 2022.