Race winning MotoGP rookie Jorge Martin admits he will nee🌼d to 'face his fears' as he returns to Portimao thi♎s 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 for𓃲 the April Portimao evenꦯt, keeping him sidelined for the next three rounds.

The young Spaniard spent the following races rebuilding his fitness and confide𒉰nce 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 was [thinking] of surgery right a🍰way 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 experie♐nced 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 mistak🐷es 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."

"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 pr💎oblem 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.

"𝓡It'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 wꦅill also present so💧mething of a mental challenge.

"Sincerely, after I knew [MotoGP] was coming back here [in November], I think it was in the middle of the season, I told my𒀰 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 wel🔯l and be consisteᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnt 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 h꧋alf 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.