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"How do I feel? Lucky, very lucky." Raul Fernandez breathes a sigh of relief in Buriram. Less than a week ago, he had fallen during the tests in Sepang, breaking the fifth metacarpal of his left hand and two toes of his left foot. Today he's in Thailand and ready to get back on his Aprilia. The only visible sign of his injury is a white bandage. But appearances can be deceiving. The Trackhouse rider took a big risk.
"I 'm lucky to be here after the fall," he repeated. "I returned immediately to Spain, and I thank Dr. Xavier Mir very much for what he did. As soon as I arrived in Barcelona, he operated on me and, if I'm here today, it's thanks to him. He helped me a lot. The accident happened just a week ago. I had to fly to Europe and come back. It was not easy."
He didn't think about operating in Malaysia?
"Three years ag,o I had had the same kind of fracture, but on my right hand. Dr. Mir had operated and, five days later, I was on the bike. So, when I saw the x-rays, I called him."
How do you describe that fall?
"It was an astonishing fall," he said, laughing. "I can't and don't want to say much. It was one of the worst in my whole career. I was going at about 200 kilometers per hour. I was lucky. I remember I was on the bike and, a few seconds later, on the ground. That was it."
How physically fit are you?
"I can't give you a percentage. My hand is fine. The problems are more my foot and shoulder. A,lso I feel a lot of pain in my back, because the impact was hard. The good thing is that it was a test, and you can manage yourself. The doctors, both Mir and Chartre, told me that I can ride and that my finger is fixed now. There are no risks."
How will you deal with these two test days?
"They're important for me, for the team, and for Aprilia. We need this test, to collect information, to find our direction. The first impression of the bike was good. I was happy with the work done in the winter by Aprilia, but I did just about 30 laps, not enough to find a foundation. The problem is that, when you don't ride a MotoGP bike for two months, you need the first thirty, fourty laps to find your speed, to feel comfortable again, so I don't have a clear idea of the bike. I don't want to think about the stopwatch these next few days, but only focus on myself and on the bike."
Martin won't be there. How will his absence affect your work?
"I have no pressure. There's Bezzecchi, who has experience, Ogura, who's already at a good level, then Savadori. Aprilia has enough strong riders, and I'll help as much as I can."
