Defending world champion Jorge Martin enjoyed a thoroughly successful first day aboard the factory Aprilia RS-GP in Qatar. The Spaniard was upbeat following his comeback Friday that panned out as well he realistically could have hoped. But what might have given him pause for thought – after coming down from the high – was the poor showing by the other three Aprilia riders. His three colleagues kept him company in the lower reaches of the timesheets… despite full fitness and thousands more kilometres of time in the saddle.
Having previously made it clear that he would not be 100% fit and would be easing his way back into competition in Qatar, it was no surprise to see Martin finish his first session back in 20th place, just over two seconds off the pace set by Marc Marquez. In light of his injuries, many expected to see him even further away from the quickest man.
