Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin will miss the Argentina Grand Prix this weekend, his second consecutive race on the sidelines. He continues to recover from the second fall he suffered during the winter.
Martin was already a doubt for the season opener in Thailand after a frightening highside on the first day of MotoGP testing. Aprilia ruled him out of the remaining four days in Sepang and Buriram.
But any hope was dashed when he fell from a supermoto bike and suffered fresh fractures in a private session. Aprilia may not be pleased that Martin pushed so hard, even if he was trying to test his strength.
Speaking to the press last time out, Massimo Rivola admitted that the world champion wouldn’t make it to Termas de Rio Hondo either. There was a rumour that Martin might attend the Argentina Grand Prix and watch from the garage, but that’s unlikely to aid the healing process.
After this weekend, there’s another fortnight break before round three in Austin. Martin will be even more desperate to return after seeing Ai Ogura’s debut performance on the Aprilia bike.
Neil Hodgson suspects Martin hated watching Ogura, who finished P5 for Trackhouse. He may feel that a podium was possible had he been fit enough to race.
Jorge Martin’s mother shares complicating factor for Grand Prix of the Americas comeback
Speaking to El Larguero, Martin’s mother Susana Almoguera offered an update on his recovery. She assured fans that things are ‘going well’.
However, she was cautious about the idea of her son making a comeback in Texas. Martin’s injury is ‘particularly troublesome’ because his scaphoid is fractured.
The limited blood supply slows down the healing process, and the damage makes a premature return much more risky. That’s why Almoguera is keen for Martin to take his time.
Hodgson endured a ‘nightmare’ with his scaphoid, having been forced into two operations after rushing back.
“It all depends on the doctors,” Almoguera said. “Until they do check-ups we will see how the evolution is going to be. It seems that it is going well.
“But this scaphoid is a very complicated bone, more annoying than anything. He has many fractures, but the scaphoid is the worst because it does not get the blood supply. The important thing is that he recovers well.”
Has Jorge Martin’s old boss revealed when he’ll make his Aprilia debut?
Sources close to Martin sound positive, pointing out that he’s now able to exercise at home after a reduction in pain. He made his first public appearance at the end of last week.
Martin was in attendance as Aprilia launched one of their new motorcycles, wearing heavy strapping on the affected wrist.
The spectacle in MotoGP may benefit from a rider who can truly take the fight to Ducati. But even when the rider with the no. 1 plate returns, he will likely need multiple races before he can display his best form.
In a recent interview, Pramac’s Paolo Campinoti said Martin will return in Qatar, rather than the US. Considering the severity of his injuries – and the fact he’s had two major accidents – that would be a pleasant surprise.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
