APRILIA HOPES MARTIN CAN RACE AT SEPANG, BUT RIVOLA DOUBTS A QUICK RETURN

Jorge Martin is aiming to return for next weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang after fracturing his right wrist in a high-speed crash during the Phillip Island Sprint. Aprilia had been working towards having him fit for Friday’s opening practice, but CEO Massimo Rivola has now warned that a return is “very, very difficult” to imagine. Martin’s participation will depend on further medical checks.

Martin crashed on lap eight while battling Marc Marquez for the Sprint victory, tumbling across the gravel. The injury forced him to miss Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix and cost him the championship lead: he now trails Marquez by 10 points. The gap did not grow over the weekend because poor weather and limited visibility, which prevented the medical helicopter from operating, led to the cancellation of the race.

Further scans in Melbourne brought some relief, ruling out a suspected fracture to the ulna and showing that the radius fracture is non-displaced. Surgery is not currently required, and Martin will travel directly to Malaysia. However, the absence of a need for surgery does not establish whether he can withstand the demands of a race weekend. Rivola said he hoped to see Martin in Sepang “at least with us,” before the team assesses his condition.

Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora called the non-displaced fracture positive news and said: “We’re working towards it. We’re optimistic.” Rivola, however, stressed the importance of Martin being fully recovered. He described the injury as a broken bone rather than a dramatic one, but said the partnership had suffered too many setbacks and he wanted their story to end with Martin “100 per cent physically fit.”

Bonora said Martin had been in attack mode before the crash, with strong overtaking and race pace, and described his condition afterwards as positive. Rivola also praised the Spaniard’s performance: “Yesterday he put on a fantastic show. We saw the real Jorge, and I think he had a chance of winning the race.” He added that Aprilia would not give up while there was still a chance, despite the pair having had little luck together.

Aprilia is treating a Sepang return as a target rather than a certainty. Martin is committed to trying to race and collect points, but his recovery and medical assessment will determine whether he can join the fight on track. The cancelled Australian Grand Prix spared him another points loss. Marquez now leads the standings with 365 points, ahead of Martin on 355 and Marco Bezzecchi on 315.

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi also welcomed the injury news, calling it “good news for the championship” and saying he hoped Martin could race in Malaysia. “We know Jorge very well, he’s a hero, he’s a fighter,” Tardozzi said. “It’s a very interesting battle between him and Marc.” He also considers Bezzecchi a title contender despite the Italian sitting 50 points behind Marquez, noting that more than 140 points remain available and expecting him to push hard for a win in Malaysia.

Sepang begins the final four rounds of the season, with Qatar scheduled immediately afterwards. Rivola said Aprilia is proceeding on the assumption that all four remaining races will take place. He acknowledged that a packed schedule could help or hinder Martin, depending on his fitness, but said that was not a factor for the team to decide. Qatar’s staging remains uncertain amid unrest in the region. Rivola said the team would follow organisers’ safety guidance: “At the moment, we’re not in a position to say, ‘I’m not going.’ There’s no reason for that so far. Maybe we wake up tomorrow and the situation has changed. But today, that’s not the case.”