Jorge Martin in Sepang? Massimo Rivola has serious doubts

It remains to be seen whether Jorge Martin will be able to compete in another MotoGP race this coming weekend at Sepang. Whilst Aprilia’s racing manager Paolo Bonora sounded cautiously optimistic following the Spaniard’s broken forearm, racing director Massimo Rivola was significantly more cautious in his comments. His hope is, for now, simply to see Martin with the team in Malaysia at all.

“It’s very, very difficult. I hope to see Jorge in Sepang, at least with us. Then we’ll see,” explained Rivola. Martin will travel directly to Malaysia following his heavy crash in the Sprint race at Phillip Island. As things stand, surgery does not appear to be necessary. However, it is not yet clear whether he will be able to cope with the demands of a race weekend.

Bonora had previously highlighted as positive news that the fracture was not displaced. When asked about a comeback at Sepang, he had said: “We’re working on that. We’re optimistic.” Rivola, on the other hand, emphasised that a full physical recovery is a key priority for him.

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“The story between Aprilia and Jorge has been rather unfortunate. The silver lining this time is that the bone is merely fractured and the injury isn’t serious. But I’d like our shared history to end in the best possible way – with him in 100 per cent physical condition,” said the Aprilia racing director.

Jorge Martin (li.) mit Aprilia-Rennchef Massimo Rivola

Foto: Aprilia Racing

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The timing of the injury is particularly bitter from a sporting perspective. In the Sprint race, Martin had battled Marc Marquez for the lead on several occasions before crashing on lap 8 at the fast Turn 8. X-rays revealed a broken radius and a suspected additional fracture of the ulna near the wrist.

“He put on a fantastic show yesterday. We saw the real Jorge, and I think he had a chance of winning the race. But sometimes shit just happens. We haven’t had much luck together. Nevertheless, we certainly won’t give up as long as it’s not over,” emphasised Rivola.

Jorge Martin presste sich im Sprint an Marc Marquez vorbei

Foto: Gold and Goose

The cancellation of the main race at Phillip Island spared Martin from losing any further points. Marquez now leads the World Championship with 365 points, ahead of the Aprilia rider on 355 points. Marco Bezzecchi follows with 315 points. For Martin, therefore, a great deal in the final stretch depends on when and in what condition he can return.

How Rivola assesses the situation in Qatar

The race in Qatar, scheduled to take place immediately after Sepang, brings further uncertainty. Due to the unrest in the region, it is still not entirely certain that the event will go ahead. However, Rivola does not want to mix this decision with his team’s sporting interests.

“On the one hand, this gives us more to talk about. On the other hand, we do what we’re told. We do this job because we love it. If the organisers tell us that, for safety reasons, the conditions for a race are in place, then we’ll race,” explained the Italian.

At present, he sees no reason to question participation in principle. At the same time, he is aware that the situation could change at short notice. “We’re not in a position at the moment to say: ‘I’m not going’. There’s no reason for that so far. Perhaps we’ll wake up tomorrow and the situation will have changed. But that’s not the case today,” Rivola explained.

Aprilia is therefore continuing to plan for the remaining races as scheduled. The racing director left open the question of whether a tight calendar would help Martin make a swift return or place an additional strain on him due to his injury.

“We’re assuming that there are still four races to go. I don’t know whether that’s good or bad for Jorge. If he’s not physically fit, it’s not good. But it’s not up to us to base our decisions on such considerations,” Rivola clarified.