Malaysia GP: Martin Fit for FP1 Following Australia Crash

Sepang, October 29: Aprilia's Jorge Martin will be allowed to ride in the Malaysian Grand Prix free practice session on Friday morning, after receiving the green light following a medical check-up. MotoGP announced the development on Thursday.

Martin, the 2024 champion, sustained a fractured wrist in a crash during the sprint at the Australian Grand Prix. The injury was a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius in his right wrist, which had cast doubt on his chances of racing at Sepang.

The rider has now been cleared to take part in the Friday morning session. After FP1, the MotoGP medical staff will carry out another review of his condition.

It is not only Martin who has been given the all-clear. Raul Fernandez has been declared fit for FP1 as well, after he was ruled out of the Australian Grand Prix with a broken finger.

Martin crashed during Saturday's sprint in Australia and missed Sunday's race. Poor weather then forced the cancellation of the race, a result that gave him some breathing room in the championship fight.

By the time the sprint crash and Marc Marquez's victory were added up, Martin had fallen 10 points behind in the title race. Had the race been completed and Marquez gained extra points, the deficit could have grown larger and Martin's title hopes would have been further damaged.

Before the Malaysian round, Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora had expressed optimism about Martin returning the following weekend. He said the rider was in a good mindset.

Bonora told MotoGP, "George was in attack mode yesterday, and it was great to see that. He made a lot of overtakes and also showed that his race pace is really strong."

He went on to say, "The crash was big, but we are pleased because he is now in a good position. Over the next few days we will keep an eye on how the situation changes. This morning we saw him in a very good mood, which is positive for us."

Bonora also noted that surgery is not expected, which keeps the path to a comeback open.

The team will work to get the 2024 champion back on track for the next race, but that depends on what the medical team decides. "We will work for that," he said.