Aprilia have now predicted how many races Jorge Martin will need to regain top form after MotoGP crash

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Jorge Martin expects to make his Aprilia debut at the Thailand Grand Prix as planned. His winter testing programme was essentially wiped out by his crash in Sepang.

Martin flew off his RS-GP 25 on the exit of turn two just 14 laps into day one at Malaysia. On landing, he broke fingers in his right hand, and toes in his left foot.

Aprilia saw Martin make gestures of ‘great pain’, and sent him to a local hospital. From there, it was decided that he should return to Europe for surgery.

Martin predictably missed the Buriram Test but is hopeful of riding at the season opener. It’s unclear what condition he’ll be in at the time.

He wasn’t the only rider to suffer a serious accident this winter. Fabio di Giannantonio was absent in Buriram after breaking his collarbone performing a wheelie, while Raul Fernandez was able to make a quick return from a scary Sepang shunt.

Elsewhere, 2024 Moto3 champion David Alonso dislocated his shoulder in the off-season but was still able to feature in the Moto2 tests at Portimao.

Aprilia don’t expect to see the best of Jorge Martin until the Spanish Grand Prix

According to La Gazzetto dello Sport, Martin is ‘certain’ that he’ll quickly regain his ‘psycho-physical’ level. He expects to be competitive right away.

However, Aprilia are ‘more cautious’ on the matter. In Thailand, they plan to focus not on results, but on getting Martin comfortable.

They’re preaching the importance of ‘calm and patience’, particularly as Martin isn’t expected to challenge for the title in 2025. This is a long-term move, so it’s not a case of all or nothing this year.

It’s ‘thought’ that the former Pramac rider will need at least four races to return to ‘full fitness’ and reach ‘optimal adaptation’. That could mean he’s back to his best for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, scheduled for 27 April.

The accusation some Aprilia staff have levelled at Jorge Martin after MotoGP testing crash

Aleix Espargaro has tried to motivate Martin, his close friend and protege, in a gruelling period. He’s simultaneously in recovery and training.

It seems his crash was partly down to sheer misfortune. MotoGP could change its tyre protocol after Michelin discovered the internal temperature of Martin’s rubber was well below the normal window.

However, some at Aprilia feel Martin was ‘impetuous’ on his first day of running, pushing unnecessarily hard. Perhaps he wanted to make an immediate statement on the timesheets after leaving Ducati.

After winning the title, Martin was the strong favourite for the intra-team battle with Marco Bezzecchi. But following the events of recent weeks, perhaps the initiative has swung towards the Italian rider.