Former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri says Jorge Martin cannot race in Malaysia after fracturing his radius in a crash at Phillip Island, calling a comeback “impossible.” The injury leaves Martin’s MotoGP title bid hanging by a thread.

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Martin crashed at high speed during the Australian Grand Prix Sprint race, barrel-rolling through the gravel while chasing Marc Marquez. The crash added drama to an already tense championship duel.

Initial fears pointed to fractures in both the radius and ulna of his right arm. Scans in Melbourne brought a slight reprieve: the ulna remained intact, and the radius fracture was non-displaced, sparing Martin from immediate surgery back in Spain. Despite this, the Ducati rider’s ambition to race at Sepang faces a daunting reality.

Title fight after the Australian GP cancellation

Marquez failed to capitalize on the Australian GP cancellation, leaving Martin just 10 points adrift in the championship standings. Yet the severity of Martin’s arm injury casts serious doubt over his ability to mount a competitive challenge in Malaysia. The prospect of piloting a MotoGP machine with a fractured radius is not only excruciating but also severely limits control and performance.

Melandri: “Impossible”

There is a glimmer of hope through a special ‘protocol’ allowing riders to compete with modified gloves, which Martin could exploit to return to the grid. However, former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri delivers a sobering verdict via Chiacchiere da Box: “If he’s got even a minor fracture to his right radius, he won’t be racing in either Malaysia or Qatar, in my opinion. Impossible. Impossible, if it really is just a minor fracture.”

Aprilia has pledged not to pressure Martin into racing if he is unfit, but missing the Malaysian GP would all but end his championship aspirations.

Compounding the uncertainty is the looming threat of Qatar’s Grand Prix cancellation amid Middle East tensions and rider dissent, with at least 15 riders reportedly opposing travel following a clandestine meeting in Australia.

Marquez and Bezzecchi in the picture

Should Martin be sidelined for the next two rounds, Marc Marquez would be poised to claim the title, unless Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi mounts an unexpected charge. Currently 50 points behind Martin, Bezzecchi remains a long shot but not out of contention.

Melandri is cautiously optimistic: “We can still do it,” he declared when discussing Bezzecchi’s slim chance to secure Aprilia’s maiden MotoGP crown.

The Malaysian Grand Prix looms as a pivotal moment in the championship saga, with Jorge Martin’s fractured arm potentially sealing the fate of his title dreams and reshaping the battle for supremacy in the final stretch of the season.