Spanish rider Jorge Martín will miss the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix after Aprilia announced his withdrawal during the Q1 qualifying session at Sepang. The opening qualifying segment got underway without Martín present as he remained in the garage, with the decision following a series of attempts to recover from a right wrist injury. His absence ensures he will score no points at the event, dealing a blow to his standing in the 2026 MotoGP world championship fight.
Persistent Wrist Problems and Treatment Attempts
The injury severely restricted Martín's track time across the practice sessions at the Sepang circuit. On Friday, the Spaniard's running was heavily curtailed across both sessions. During Practice, he completed minimal running to rest his wrist and test the feasibility of continuing his participation. On Saturday morning, Martín received an infiltration into the radius bone of his right arm in an effort to strengthen the limb and ease braking, which had caused his greatest difficulties across the weekend. That medical intervention, however, failed to bring any improvement.
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Practice Struggles and Withdrawal Decision
During the second free practice session, Martín returned to the track but was left well off the pace of the competition, troubled by poor feeling aboard his motorcycle. A technical issue also surfaced during running to further complicate his situation. Martín then held a meeting with team doctor Charte and his Aprilia squad to assess all available options. That discussion resulted in the verdict that Martín would halt his participation at the Malaysian round and proceed with his rehabilitation.
Championship Implications for 2026 Season
Aprilia confirmed that Martín will stay focused on achieving a full recovery before making his return to track competition. His absence from Sepang prevents him from collecting points and could have significant repercussions for his overall 2026 championship classification, altering the title fight as questions surround the rest of his season. The withdrawal was confirmed during the qualifying hour, where Álex Márquez claimed pole position ahead of Sunday's race.
Sources: Álex Márquez osvojio pol poziciju ispred brata Marca na MotoGP kvalifikacijama u Sepangu.
