Pol: 'Then Jerez arrived, that was painful to watch!'

The Spaniard was forced to miss the opening eight rounds, up to the summer break, following back, neck, rib and jaw fractures at the season-opener.

But Espargaro’s enforced absence became even tougher when, after struggling in winter testing, the fast-improving RC16 began consistently fighting at the front.

“The bike has changed a lot. I have to admit, in the beginning of the year, I was not so concerned to be out of racing because they were not doing good results. But then Jerez arrived and that was painful!” said Espargaro.

“I’ll tell you I was struggling to watch the races on TV! Jack started to be very quick, when during pre-season I was on the level of Jack. I started to see these guys doing what they are doing and that was hard.”

Red Bull KTM riders Brad Binder and Jack Miller finished on the podium in both of Espargaro’s home Jerez races, where test and wild-card rider Dani Pedrosa also played a starring role.

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The very next event in Le Mans then saw Espargaro’s rookie Tech3 team-mate Augusto Fernandez finish in a strong fourth place.

“Augusto is bringing so much good energy into the pit box,” Espargaro said. “I really like it because he’s doing great.

“The atmosphere inside the pit box compared to the last years has changed completely and this is also thanks to Augusto. So he’s trying, he’s pushing and he’s fast.”

By the summer break, KTM had taken two Sprint wins plus four further top-three finishes. The RC16 is presently second to Ducati in the constructors’ table, while Espargaro’s former Repsol Honda squad is eleventh and last in the teams’ standings.

Although the #44 missed his planned target of a comeback before Assen and is now setting his sights on Silverstone in early August, he was at least back in the paddock at the Dutch TT.

“It's been very emotional to have Pol on the grid,” said older brother Aleix. “I want to see him on the bike, fighting with him. But when I saw him coming onto the grid, for me it was very emotional.

“I know how hard it has been for him. Not just physically, because he had a lot of injuries, but it's part of the game. But mentally to be out for a lot of weeks, not knowing when he was able to come back. It's not easy.

“So I'm very happy for him that he's here, and that everybody in GASGAS gave him the welcome he deserved.

“As a brother, I'm very happy for this weekend for him. Actually, he didn't want to come. I pushed a lot the last two weeks for him to be here, and finally he said ‘OK, I will come just on Saturday’. I said, ‘OK, Saturday is good enough, but everybody wants to see you’.

“Because when you are at home, it's difficult for you the journalists and also for his team to understand how he was. But he's good. He’s fine. He's ready to be back. So I think he had to come here and prove that. And I'm very happy.”

Pol will ride an RC16 for the first time since his Portimao accident at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.