Marco Bezzecchi admitted that he was struggling with pain and mobility despite breaking the all-time circuit record at Silverstone in Practice for the British Grand Prix.
Coming into the weekend, the Italian had conceded his chances of a top result after injuring his collarbone and knee in a crash during Sachsenring practice last month.
But he was immediately up to pace as he jumped aboard a MotoGP bike for the first time in almost a month, posting an impressive time of 1m56.280s to end the day on top.
However, while his one-lap pace suggested that he had rediscovered his form, Bezzecchi was keen to stress that he was still struggling for physical fitness, with both his collarbone and the knee injury weighing him down.
“The day was fantastic. Obviously, I am very happy to make a good lap time, but the balance of the day is a little bit different than this,” he explained.
“In terms of [long-run] pace, I’m struggling a bit more. When I have to put four or five laps in a row, I start to suffer. At the end of the session, I was super tired.
“I’m forcing myself a bit, especially because of the knee. It’s a smaller injury, but it’s what is making me crazy. The days at home were a disaster.
“I’m forcing a bit, especially in the change of direction. I can’t bend all the legs, so I’m struggling. In this track, there are many changes of direction.”
Asked whether he was struggling with pain or mobility, he replied: “It’s both. The pain is still there, because it’s like a fracture. I’m missing a small piece of the bone.”
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Photo by: Glyn Kirk / AFP via Getty Images
After having to withdraw from the German GP midway through the weekend, Bezzecchi returned home to recover from injuries. During the summer break, doctors operated on his injured left knee before performing surgery on his broken collarbone.
The rehabilitation process, which isn’t complete yet, was tough, with Bezzecchi unable to ride a production bike until the week before the British GP.
Deep wounds in knee
Recalling his time at home, the 27-year-old said: “The injuries were both tough. The fracture was very bad. So, the surgery was very difficul. And the knee, at the end, was wounded. It’s a very deep wound.
“So, in Germany they closed it to allow me to fly. But I had to re-open and when they re-opened they showed that I also scratched my bone. The surgery in the knee was also complicated.
“At home, it was difficult during this break to switch off. It was impossible because I went to the gym on Monday and I had the surgery on Sunday. So, I did everything I could to try to come back here. And it was not easy.”
Despite his strong start to the weekend, and Aprilia’s impressive form, Bezzecchi played down his chances at Silverstone.
“I hope to be able to finish both races,” he said. “It’s true that the sprint has less laps, but the intensity of the laps is….
“We will try everything tonight, this afternoon and tonight, to rest and recover with the physio, with the medical staff from Aprilia to try to wake up tomorrow at least in the same way as now.”
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