The key facts

  • Jorge Martin is out of the Malaysian Grand Prix sprint and race due to a wrist fracture sustained at the Australian round
  • Marc Marquez leads the championship by 10 points, with three race weekends remaining after Malaysia
  • Pole position went to Alex Marquez (1:56.493), Marc Marquez was second, Pedro Acosta third

Martin withdrawn from the Sepang weekend

Jorge Martin will miss the sprint and the main race of the Malaysian Grand Prix due to a wrist fracture he sustained during the sprint of the previous round in Australia. The Aprilia rider arrived in Kuala Lumpur with the injury and completed the first practice session on Friday without consequences, but in the afternoon and on Saturday morning he rode only a limited number of laps and did not go out for qualifying. Aprilia Racing team manager Paolo Bonora said the team decided to withdraw the rider from the remainder of the weekend: he was unable to put force on the motorcycle in braking zones. Martin will return to Spain, where his fitness for the Qatar Grand Prix will be assessed in the coming days, AFP reports.

Qualifying: pole for Alex Marquez

In qualifying, the fastest was Alex Marquez of Ducati-Gresini — 1:56.493, 0.070 seconds quicker than his older brother Marc. Third time went to Pedro Acosta, followed by Japanese rider Ai Ogura and Italian Marco Bezzecchi. Thus, championship leader Marc Marquez will start from the front row in both Saturday's sprint and Sunday's race.

What this means in the title fight

Martin's withdrawal sharply changes the championship picture: Marc Marquez leads his compatriot by 10 points, and after Malaysia only three race weekends remain on the calendar. AFP calls Martin's early exit from the track a serious blow to his title ambitions and a notable advantage for the reigning Ducati champion. Martin himself, the 2024 champion, said he would fight to the end — 'not only for myself, because I am already a champion, but for my team, for my people.' His task now is to recover in time for next weekend in Qatar; whether he will take part there is not yet clear from the reports — the decision will be made after an assessment of his condition in Spain.