Jorge Martin celebrates as the first green light arrives: Aprilia awaits him on track at Sepang

Positive news regarding the former MotoGP championship leader: the medical check in Malaysia brought the hoped-for result.

Jorge Martin will be able to ride his Aprilia RS-GP26 in the first free practice session at Sepang. The medical examination conducted at the circuit today determined that the rider is fit to race, although his physical condition will still need to be reassessed after FP1.

The two-time world champion arrived at the Malaysian Grand Prix with a non-displaced fracture of the distal right radius sustained in the MotoGP sprint race at Phillip Island. His participation in this race weekend was very much in doubt, so receiving initial clearance to get back on the bike is truly positive news. However, it remains to be seen whether the injury will allow him to ride without too much discomfort. We will have to wait until Friday to get a clearer picture; in the meantime, it was essential for Martinator to be declared fit by the medical team.

If the Aprilia rider comes through FP1 unscathed, it will be interesting to see what he can do over the rest of the weekend. He will most likely have to limit the damage against Marc Marquez, who won the Sprint at the Australian GP last time out and overtook him in the MotoGP standings. They are now 10 points apart, and the gap could grow after Sepang. It remains to be seen whether MotoGP will race in Qatar the following weekend; the event is currently still on the calendar. Skipping Lusail would be better for Martin, giving him more time to recover from his injury.

As for the riders who had to undergo a medical check at the Sepang International Circuit, Luca Marini and Joan Mir have also received clearance to ride in Friday’s free practice sessions.

Valentino Rossi’s brother had been struck down by a virus that left him severely weakened, forcing him to end his Australian GP weekend early. He completed a couple of laps in FP1 before returning to the garage, did not ride in pre-qualifying, and was declared unfit on Saturday morning.

As for Mir, health problems had forced him to miss the Grands Prix in Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Australia. He is finally feeling better and ready to get back on his RC213V. It is important for the Honda HRC team to have both its riders back, especially since its test riders Takaaki Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro are currently dealing with physical issues that prevent them from stepping in as replacements.

Raul Fernandez has also been given the green light. At Phillip Island, he raced in a compromised condition because of microfractures to two fingers on his right hand sustained in Indonesia. He returned to the garage early during the sprint race, as the inflammation severely hampered him. He is feeling better after several days, but, like the others, will need to be reassessed after Friday morning’s MotoGP FP1 session at Sepang.

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