Here is the reality of racing machines: sometimes the human body simply runs out of time. Jorge Martin of Aprilia Racing has officially withdrawn from the Malaysian GP. It was a superhuman effort just to get this far, coming back to the track a mere six days after breaking his wrist in Australia.
The 2024 Champion and 2026 title contender tried his best to push through the pain on Friday at Sepang. He managed 12 laps in the morning session, added a few more in the afternoon, and then cut his day short to recharge for the challenges of Saturday.
Unfortunately, after putting in more time on track in FP2 ahead of qualifying, the decision was confirmed. The #89 machine will remain parked on the sidelines for the remainder of the event, with all sights now set on a return the next time out.
That said, the championship battle is far from finished. Heading into this weekend, Martin sits 10 points behind the lead held by Marc Marquez of the Ducati Lenovo Team. The absolute worst-case scenario if he misses the entire race weekend is a 47-point deficit—that is, if Marc Marquez manages to do the double at Sepang. Even in that grim scenario, there will still be 111 points left on the table.
MotoGP
MotoGP
