Jorge Martin Seriously Injured, Australian GP Over: The Aprilia Rider’s Condition

The GP ended prematurely for the former MotoGP world championship leader, who suffered a heavy crash during the sprint race.

A thrilling battle was shaping up between him and Marc Marquez, but Jorge Martin crashed at Turn 8, ending not only his chances of getting on the podium in the MotoGP Sprint at Phillip Island. The Aprilia rider also sustained injuries and was carried away on a stretcher after the incident.

Aprilia issued the following official update on the condition of its injured rider: "Jorge Martin was taken to the circuit's medical centre after the crash. Emergency X-rays revealed a fracture of the radius and a suspected fracture of the distal ulna. Martin will undergo further examinations in the coming hours for a definitive assessment of his condition. The rider has been declared unfit for Sunday's race".

The Australian Grand Prix is over early for the two-time world champion. It remains to be seen whether he can return in time to race next weekend at Sepang, although that seems unlikely. The Qatar GP will then follow the weekend after. He has suffered a serious injury at the worst possible time, potentially putting an end to his bid for the 2026 MotoGP world title.

He is 10 points behind Marc Marquez in the standings, and that gap is likely to grow after Sunday's race at Phillip Island. Even if he somehow manages to be on the grid in Malaysia, he would not be in peak physical condition.

Sky Sport MotoGP's cameras caught up with Dr Franco Perona, Lifenet Chief Medical Officer for Aprilia Racing, who provided a further update: "Dr Charte and we agreed that a further examination should be carried out, which will most likely be a CT scan. We are deciding on the next steps. We are considering whether to take him to Melbourne; we need to determine the most suitable logistical option. Surgery is a possibility, but we hope it won't be necessary. The next examination will be crucial in providing the information that may be needed by the surgeon. He has no other issues elsewhere in his body".

A major blow for Martin and Aprilia, whose other title contender, Marco Bezzecchi, is 50 points behind Marquez and therefore too far back to challenge the Ducati champion.

We also saw Raul Fernandez retire during the MotoGP sprint race at Phillip Island, returning to the pits early. The Spanish rider arrived in Australia already nursing injuries, with microfractures in two fingers on his right hand sustained in his crash with Bezzecchi during the Sprint in Indonesia. After his remarkable second place in the main race at Mandalika, he was unsure how his hand would hold up in Australia, where the track is physically demanding.

Today he was unable to finish the race and will also miss the rest of the weekend, as confirmed by the SuperFile Trackhouse team: "After the race, Fernandez went straight for a medical assessment with the MotoGP Medical Director. It was found that, although the finger fracture is stable, there is inflammation in the soft tissue around the fracture. He has now been declared unfit to compete in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix and will travel to Malaysia for a further medical assessment on Thursday to determine whether he is fit to ride at Sepang". His participation in the Malaysian GP is also in doubt.

-> Follow Corsedimoto on Instagram