As Motorsport.com reports, Jorge Martin finds himself facing a terrifying physical dilemma as the championship battle reaches a boiling point, admitting he is "scared" about the prospect of undergoing surgery for arm pump.
The factory Aprilia rider was leading the way at last weekend's San Marino Grand Prix before the condition completely derailed his pace, dropping him all the way back to a distant fifth at the checkered flag. That painful collapse proved costly on the table, allowing Ducati's Marc Marquez to draw level with him in the standings.
This morning, I was 100% sure that no surgery [was needed]. Then in the evening, I had a bit of a doubt, but it's normal,
Now, Martin has to decide whether he needs to go under the knife, though he plans to continue assessing his physical state throughout the Austrian Grand Prix weekend before making a final call. The timing is a nightmare with just a short break until the next round in Japan on 3 October, leaving the championship finely poised and the factory Aprilia star deeply worried about how long a recovery might take.
When asked if he could count on being almost 100% fit for Motegi should he opt for an operation next week, he was refreshingly honest: "You never know when it's a surgery. That's why I'm a bit scared about going into surgery, because everything can be good and I can be on a bike after maybe one week. But it can [also] be bad."
That hesitation comes from a brutal 2025 campaign that saw him battle through four separate injuries while finishing just seven out of the 22 races. "I don't have good memories from the past, so I have to be clever and intelligent with these decisions," he noted.
Despite the underlying worry, the 2024 MotoGP champion jumped straight back into action on Friday during practice, piloting his RS-GP to the fifth-fastest time. While he had previously been certain he could avoid an operation on his arm, that initial on-track return at least left him with a few doubts.
"This morning, I was 100% sure that no surgery [was needed]. Then in the evening, I had a bit of a doubt, but it's normal," he shared. "I'm getting tired as usual, so I hope that I can continue riding at 100%, and today I was able to do that. It was more about finding the set-up, working with the bike, and I was able to work without thinking about it.
"Everything that I did during the week was working well and I feel much better. There will still be a question mark until Sunday after the race, but I felt super good and I think it won't be an issue during the weekend."
