Aprilia outlines “pragmatic” Sepang MotoGP strategy for injured Jorge Martin

Aprilia is balancing a “never give up” and “no risk” attitude towards injured MotoGP title contender Jorge Martin at Sepang this weekend.

Martin has been passed fit to ride in Friday morning's FP1 session despite fracturing his right wrist in a high-speed Phillip Island accident last Saturday.

That incident also handed Marc Marquez the World Championship lead by ten points, although the title damage could have been much worse had the Australian Grand Prix not been cancelled.

Nevertheless, with Martin's injury normally requiring a four-to-five-week recovery period, the Aprilia rider faces a gruelling challenge just to complete the Sepang weekend.

“Absolutely, he's a fighter, because it happened only six days ago. So it is something special to see him here,” Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora told MotoGP.com.

“He's suffering, it is not so easy for him. At least he has been declared fit. So tomorrow he will test [his condition on the track].

“To be honest, we are not pushing him to force something, because we know that it is necessary to wait and have a better situation at another track, probably. But at least tomorrow he will try.

“Probably, tomorrow morning will be a wet session, so he will try softly without taking any risk. And then, following the first session, he will retest again in the medical centre to check if everything is okay and if he can continue the weekend.”

Martin was initially feared to have two fractured bones and intended to return to Europe. However, further scans ruled out the ulna injury, while the radius fracture was confirmed as non-displaced.

“The injury was better than expected. So after the huge crash, we expected to have a worse situation, for sure," Bonora said.

“His staff did a very good job, because they followed the treatment in a very good way and pushed to have Jorge treated as much as possible during these days in Kuala Lumpur.

“To be honest, during the medical check, it seems to be that Jorge has [strength in the wrist], but you don't know after many laps how his arm will react.

“We were in touch with them every minute, to understand his feeling. He was really focused on the target to be on track and to be ready to take the fight another time.

“But we know, to be very pragmatic, that he has to keep his energy probably not for Sepang, but for the next races.”

Aprilia: “Don't take any risk”

Asked about the danger of making the injury worse, Bonora replied:

“We have to avoid any risk, because he has a fracture. He has not a displaced fracture, but he has not to crash on it another time.

“So the suggestion is very very clear: don't take any risk, if you have [the strength in the arm] and if you feel that you can finish the race in a safe way, do it.

“Otherwise, don't take risk.”

Should Marquez win both races this weekend and Martin fail to score, the Ducati star would extend his lead to 47 points with just three rounds remaining.

“[The title] will be more difficult than before, it is clear for everybody. But we will never give up,” Bonora said.

“We fully trust in his recovery, and who knows? There are four races to go, including the Sepang one.

“So it is still a long championship, and there is still the possibility.”

Team-mate Marco Bezzecchi is 40 points behind Martin and will therefore remain third in the World Championship whatever happens this weekend.