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Aprilia has confirmed that Jorge Martin will travel to Qatar in a bid to take part in the upcoming Grand Prix weekend, despite still recovering from a fractured radius in his right arm.
Two weeks ago, the Madrid-born rider suffered a heavy, high-speed crash during the Australian Sprint while locked in a fierce battle for the lead with Marc Marquez. The resulting wrist injury instantly ruled him out of Sunday's main race at Phillip Island, which was eventually cancelled by organisers due to thick fog and torrential rain.
In the days following the accident, Martin did everything possible to prepare for the subsequent round at Sepang in Malaysia. Despite his efforts, after lapping nearly two seconds off the pace in Friday practice and barely managing any track time in the second session, the Spaniard opted to withdraw just before Saturday's qualifying to return home for further rehabilitation.
Both Aprilia and Martin have now confirmed that he will fly to Qatar, with a final decision on his race fitness depending on how his wrist holds up. The critical test at Lusail will be whether he can generate sufficient braking pressure—the primary issue that hindered him in Malaysia.
"It was frustrating to miss out on completing the weekend at Sepang, but just having the opportunity to try was a big positive in itself," Martin said. "I headed back to Spain to continue my recovery and arrive in Qatar in the best possible shape. We'll have to see how my body reacts. We start working with the team on Thursday, and that's when we'll find out what's possible," added the 'Martinator'.
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