Jorge Martin planning MotoGP return at Malaysian GP

Jorge Martin plans to return to MotoGP competition at the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix following a crash that precluded his participation in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. The Aprilia rider sustained a fractured radius during a violent clash with title rival Marc Marquez on lap eight of the Phillip Island sprint. Martin’s injury has him out of action for Sunday’s race, granting Marquez the lead in the championship standings, where the world champion now enjoys a 10-point advantage over the 2024 MotoGP champion.

Upon leaving the circuit on Saturday, Martin rushed to Melbourne for further imaging, which confirmed the fracture is non-displaced and thus did not necessitate surgery. Consequently, there is a possibility he could compete in Malaysia next week, where medical professionals will evaluate his fitness to race. Although initial fears were that the crash might have caused a fracture to the ulna in addition to the radius, a CT scan later that day ruled this out.

Martin is expected to undergo physiotherapy treatment over the coming days, with magnetotherapy being employed to expedite the healing of his fractured bone. Regardless of whether the championship doctors clear him to race at Sepang, he would likely be in a visibly weakened state, severely impacted by the injury to his arm during the physically demanding Sepang circuit.