Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin is in a race to be fit for the opening race of the season after a nasty high-side crash ruled him out of pre-season testing.
The 27-year-old suffered a slew of injuries when he crashed at the slow second corner of the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.
Martin lost the rear of his Aprilia through the middle of the corner, before it gripped up and launched him over the bike. He landed heavily on his face and had to be stretchered from the edge of the circuit.
Jorge Martin suffered a nasty high-side crash during MotoGP pre-season testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. YouTube
The crash happened barely two hours into the first morning of the three-day test. He would later be ruled out of the remainder of the test, having completed only 13 laps.
Astonishingly, it was Martin's second crash of the morning, and happened only metres down the road from a similar incident at turn one less than an hour earlier.
He escaped that crash without injury, but did require a new bike.
In a statement, MotoGP organisers said the second crash left the Spaniard with a fracture in his right hand and several in his left foot. CT and MRI scans had thankfully cleared him of further internal injuries.
Martin spent the night in hospital and would be flown back to Europe on Thursday for surgery.
Jorge Martin earlier in the test. Getty
It was Martin's first official outing for his new Aprilia team, having won the 2024 championship aboard a Ducati.
Aprilia team principal Massimo Rivola said the team had "no explanation" for the crash, and confirmed there had been "no mistake" from Martin.
"It was a bad crash with apparently no reason from his side and from the bike," he said.
"He is a world champion, but he is also a MotoGP rider. He's not an amateur. And the bike had no problems."
The season-opening Thai Grand Prix is on March 2.
