Michael van der Mark will make his return during the world championship in two weeks at Magny Cours. Recovering from two serious injuries has been difficult, but now life is getting back to normal.
After a sixth place in 2021, with a victory in the wet sprint race in Portimão, the current year could have been his breakthrough with BMW for Michael van der Mark. Instead, the 29-year-old Dutch runner's world championship has not yet started: two serious injuries to his right leg have even cast doubt on whether he can continue racing at this level. After seven months of suffering, the nightmare finally seems to be behind him. Michael van der Mark got back in the saddle last week in Barcelona (time here), starting practically from scratch. From Magny-Cours (September 9-11), he has six rounds left, or 18 races, to give meaning to this season. It will then be time to think about the future: in 2023, he will also be part of the official BMW team, alongside Scott Redding.
Double bad luck
Michael van der Mark seriously fractured his right leg in February during mountain biking training. He had to have surgery and missed the start of the championship. The Dutchman returned to the track during the third round in Portimão, limping a little, but was the victim of a disastrous fall during the first free practice session which cost him a new fracture in the same limb. “ For a few days I struggled a lot, coming back after a serious injury and getting injured again is a bad experience, but then my desire to get back on my feet as quickly as possible took over. prevailed,” said the 2014 Superbike World Champion, with Honda. “ I was never afraid, and even during the tests in Barcelona I didn't have that feeling. I understand that this may seem strange to many, but for me, motorcycling is life, injuries are part of the game. I live with it. »
A new start
During the Spanish tests, Michael van der Mark found a very different BMW from the one he encountered during the first part of winter testing. The work of
Scott Redding on the electronics and the chassis seems to have pointed the German engineers in the right direction. “ I was curious to try this new swingarm (supplied by Kalex, editor's note) and it seems to be a good step in before,” commented the Dutchman. “ But I'm coming back from a long stop, I still don't have the pace I should have and the very hot conditions have made everything more complicated. Our bike still doesn't turn as easily as those of our rivals. This is the area where I think we still need to improve. In France, we will better understand the potential. »
For Michael van der Mark, it will be like starting life again.
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