JORGE MARTIN SAYS HIS RIGHT ARM FEELS BETTER AFTER MISANO PUMP WORRIES

Jorge Martin arrived at the Red Bull Ring with a “big surprise” on Friday after checking how his right arm was responding following the arm pump issues that had raised surgery fears at Misano. The Aprilia rider, who goes into Saturday’s Sprint level on points at the top of the world championship with Marc Marquez, used the Austrian weekend to assess whether he would need an operation after the problems surfaced last Sunday.

During Friday practice, Martin’s session offered reassurance rather than complications. He set the fifth-fastest lap, finishing just behind Marquez and only 0.222 seconds off the pace set by Pedro Acosta. More importantly for Martin, he reported that the arm felt better than it had in the lead-up to the earlier incident, and that he was not experiencing a repeat of the Misano woes.

“Good,” Martin said when asked about his arm. “Honestly, it was a big surprise. For sure, everything that I did during the week [on the arm] was working well, and I feel much better.”

He added that while he still could not be certain until after the race, the day’s work gave him confidence that he could ride without constantly thinking about the problem. “It will still be a question mark until Sunday after the race, but I felt super good today, and I hope it won’t be an issue during the weekend.”

Martin said he was able to ride at full intensity and focus on the bike rather than compensating for his arm. “I hope that I can continue riding at my 100%, and today I was able to do that.” He explained that the priority for the session was finding the right direction with setup and execution: “So it was more about finding the setup, working with the bike, and I was able to work without thinking about it.”

Even with the positive signs, the decision about surgery remains open. Martin noted the uncertainty that comes with any potential operation and admitted he is still wary of the unknown timing and recovery. If surgery were required next week, he would have a maximum of ten days to recover before free practice at the following Japanese round. “You never know when it's a surgery. That's why I'm a bit scared about going into surgery,” he said.

He also described how past experiences can shape a rider’s caution when deciding whether to go under the knife. “Because everything can be good and maybe after one week I can be on a bike. But it can be bad, and then I don't have good memories from the past.” For that reason, he said he needs to approach the situation carefully rather than assume the best-case scenario. “So I have to be clever and intelligent with this decision.”

Martin’s confidence on Friday also came from the way he was able to manage pace and longer runs. Before the arm pump struck at Misano, he had been able to overtake Marquez and lead the race. While Acosta grabbed the headlines with a practice double on Friday, Martin still looked competitive for overall speed and consistency.

“I feel good. I feel in terms of pace I am in the pack - one of the strongest without Pedro,” Martin said, referencing Acosta’s pace. “He seems super strong, a super fast lap, and super fast pace.”

Martin insisted that his own performance was not just about a single quick lap. “But I feel quite strong. I was able to do really long runs, trying to be constant, and I feel good.” He believes there is still room to improve, and that a small step could help him close the gap. “I know where to improve, so if we do this small step it can help me around all the track, and I can close that gap.”

He also compared his current form to last season, saying he feels stronger overall and more able to execute what he wants from the bike. “So I feel much stronger than for sure than last season, and able to do what I want with the bike.”

Aprilia’s other rider, Marco Bezzecchi, was ninth fastest on Friday.