Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin’s mega highside at MotoGP’s pre-season test in Sepang left him requiring surgery on fractured bones and thwarted his preparations with new team Aprilia.
The reigning champion joins Aprilia after being snubbed by Ducati for a promotion to their factory team in 2025. They picked six-time champion Marc Marquez for the role instead.
Martin suffered a big accident on his first official day of testing for his new team and was forced to sit out the remainder of the test. He will also miss the upcoming test at Buriram.
It’s a major dent to their preparations ahead of the MotoGP season, with rivals Yamaha looking stronger than them, having made a clear jump over the winter.
Martin has been told he was asking for trouble before his Sepang crash, having already suffered a similar incident earlier that morning.
However, it may work to his advantage, as some feel Martin may have a ‘get out of jail free card’ after his Malaysia crash and an excuse for a slower start to the campaign.
Jorge Martin will return to MotoGP action at the Thailand Grand Prix
After undergoing surgery on a fractured right hand and left foot, many would have expected Martin to spend an extended spell on the sidelines.
That’s not in the nature of a man fighting against the odds to defend his riders’ championship on a slower bike than he had last season. Missing races makes that task virtually impossible.
According to a report from Speedweek, Martin will return in time for the first practice session at the Thailand Grand Prix at the end of the month.
Sadly, the 27-year-old will miss the Buriram test, leaving him with virtually no track time on his new bike before officially taking to the track.
Luca Marini says riders were at the limit before Martin’s crash as they pushed to assert their dominance over rivals at the earliest stage possible.
He wasn’t the only rider to go down injured, with Raul Fernandez and Fabio Di Giannantonio hurt on the first day of running, too.
Aprilia sent Jorge Martin to hospital after they saw him do one thing in Sepang
MotoGP riders are tough and sometimes refuse to admit when they’re hurt. Martin’s hit was one that he couldn’t shrug off.
Marc Marquez called the ‘very strange’ crash unexpected and was surprised that an incident could happen at such a grippy part of the track.
After the accident was cleared up, Aprilia sent Martin to hospital after seeing one thing from him – he was making gestures of evident pain.
READ MORE: How Aprilia staff are feeling after Jorge Martin’s dramatic accident on day one of MotoGP testing
Addressing the matter as quickly as they did should allow for a speedy recovery, hence why he aims to return to competitive action under four weeks from his crash.
He may need to be careful on the bike, though, as another incident might see him sitting on the sidelines for an extended period.
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