After a further medical examination, Jorge Martin is allowed to intensify his training – the focus is on his Aprilia racing debut in Qatar
The signs point to a MotoGP comeback and racing debut with Aprilia for Jorge Martin. Last weekend, the reigning world champion attended the Grand Prix in the USA and visited his team for the first time since the winter test in Malaysia.
The main purpose of the visit was to exchange ideas with the engineers and to observe the processes on a race weekend at close quarters. On Tuesday, on his way back to Spain, Martin made a stop in Barcelona.
At the Dexeus University Clinic, he had an appointment with Dr. Xavier Mir. He performed the operation on the injured scaphoid bone of Martin’s left hand on February 25.
The examination provided positive results. Martin is now allowed to put more strain on his left hand and intensify his fitness training. In his Instagram story, the Spaniard posted a picture showing him on a road bike in his adopted country of Andorra.
This brings a comeback in a week and a half at the Qatar Grand Prix within reach. The race will be held at the Lusail International Circuit from April 11 to 13. Last year, he won the sprint there and took third place in the Grand Prix with Pramac-Ducati.
If Martin’s recovery continues to go smoothly over the next few days, he could have a final medical check-up with Dr. Mir at the beginning of next week before Martin boards the plane to Doha.
When he arrives at the track, there will be another check on Thursday before the race weekend. MotoGP’s chief medical officer, Dr. Angel Charte, must check Martin’s fitness and officially declare him fit to ride from Friday.
Martin will not be training with a motorcycle before his comeback. He has also categorically ruled out doing a few laps on a supermoto to avoid risking another injury. A private test with the MotoGP Aprilia is also out of the question.
Aprilia had wanted to make such a test possible. But at the meeting of the manufacturers’ association MSMA, a last-minute rule change was rejected. Should Martin get on the Aprilia in Friday’s training session, it would be the first time since February 5, when he was injured on the first day of winter testing in Malaysia.
