MELANDRI CHALLENGES MOTOGP FITNESS DECISION AFTER MARTIN WITHDRAWS AT SEPANG

Marco Melandri has questioned MotoGP’s injury assessment process after Jorge Martin was initially cleared to ride at the Malaysian Grand Prix despite arriving at Sepang with a fractured right wrist. The Aprilia rider crashed in the Phillip Island sprint the previous weekend and was keen to race as he tried to recover ground in the title fight.

Martin completed 12 laps in Friday’s first practice, then withdrew after only a few minutes of the afternoon session. He finished last in practice and skipped pre-qualifying. MotoGP medical staff had declared him fit to ride, leaving participation up to Martin, but Aprilia announced on Saturday morning that he would withdraw from the remainder of the weekend. The team had earlier said it pulled him from practice to preserve his strength for qualifying and the races. Martin also had an early scare at Turn 12 during the final practice hour.

The injury is particularly concerning because a MotoGP rider relies on the right hand for both throttle and braking. Melandri noted that Sepang’s right-hand braking zones put extra strain on Martin’s injured arm. A fractured radius can take several months to recover from and may require the wrist to be immobilised.

Melandri, a five-time MotoGP race winner, contrasted Martin’s case with Raul Fernandez’s injury. Fernandez broke a finger at Mandalika and raced the following day, but then missed the next two weeks. “You’ve got to explain this situation to me,” Melandri said in a post on Instagram. “Fernandez breaks a finger at Mandalika and races the very next day. Then, for the next two weeks, he’s injured and doesn’t race.”

He continued: “Martin, on the other hand, has a broken radius — a bone that bears the full weight during braking, especially at Sepang, where you brake with the bike leaned to the right, and the load falls directly on that arm.” Melandri also pointed to Martin’s limited running and uncertain status, asking: “But the real question is: who decides whether a rider is fit or not?”

“How is it possible that a rider with a finger he broke three weeks ago was not fit, while another, with a broken radius, can race because the world championship is on the line?” he added. Melandri said he would support riders choosing to take risks, and might make the same decision himself. “I’ll always be on the riders’ side, so I’d probably act the same way, maybe even worse.” But he questioned the consistency of the medical calls, concluding: “The only rule seems to always be the same: the show must go on.”

Martin’s withdrawal is another blow to his title hopes. He lost the championship lead at Phillip Island, where Marc Marquez gained 12 points, and was 10 points behind before the Sepang weekend. Marquez’s second place in Saturday’s sprint extended his advantage to 19 points. Martin has described the title fight as “over”, but says he will keep fighting if he can.

Martin is set to return to Spain to continue his recovery, with a possible return at next weekend’s Qatar round if the event goes ahead. He believes he could be around 80% fit by then.