FILE PHOTO: MotoGP - Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - November 17, 2024 Prima Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGP World Championship REUTERS/Pablo Morano/File Photo
(Reuters) -MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin will make his first appearance of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend after passing a medical check, his team Aprilia said on Thursday.
Martin missed the first three rounds after a crash in pre-season testing in which he suffered fractures to his hand and foot. He also crashed in training ahead of the Thailand Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old, who won the riders' championship with Pramac Racing last season, made the switch to Aprilia but hardly had the opportunity to test his new machine before he crashed in Sepang.
"A few nerves, I'm really happy to be back here again. It's been a difficult two months, I've been working a lot to be here today. I don't know what to expect this Sunday," Martin told reporters.
"I don't feel 100% still, so the important thing is to start making some laps. I feel I have good strength but there's still pain."
Martin will have a lot of catching up to do with the Marquez brothers dominating the first three rounds.
Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez leads the championship with 87 points followed by his brother Marc on the factory Ducati on 86. Marc's teammate and twice champion Francesco Bagnaia is third with 75 points.
The title race is far from Martin's mind, however, as the Spaniard admitted that just being able to finish the weekend would be a huge success. He had done only 13 laps on Aprilia's bike before the crash.
"I will take it session by session, day by day... Now is not my moment, 100%," Martin said.
"I just need time to recover, to get used to the bike. In two-three months, everything will be on point again."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;, editing by Ed Osmond)
