Eleven rib fractures and painful procedures will prevent the reigning champion from flying out of Qatar.
Reigning champion Jorge Martin will be forced to spend at least two weeks resting in a hospital in Qatar due to injuries sustained in a crash during the MotoGP Qatar 2025 race last weekend.
Martin was rushed to a hospital immediately after he fell on lap 14 of the Lusail International Circuit during Sunday’s race.
Medical tests conducted after the crash showed 11 rib fractures and a pneumothorax, which could see him go out for no less than three months. A drainage tube was inserted into his right side to facilitate the treatment.
While the tube is expected to be removed in a few days, the pain and the nature of the injuries will prevent the Aprilia from flying out for atleast two weeks, leading motorsports news website Motorsport.com quoted a source, close to Martin’s entourage, as saying.
“If everything goes very well, Jorge could try to get on a plane and fly in about two weeks. Maybe even three,” the source added.
Martin posted two photos of himself in the hospital, adding that the consequences “could have been much worse.”
Fellow racer Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was close to the reigning champion after his crash on Sunday, had described the moment as the “worst scene of my life”. The VR46 rider made contact with the fallen Martin while trying to overtake.
“I tried to overtake him, and once he crashed, his body was completely in front of my bike. And that is a really fast corner. I didn’t have any chance to go anywhere, so I touched him,” Giantonnio explained the incident.
“I have goosebumps because it was the worst scene of my life. Honestly, it was a super bad crash, and he was still on the ground.”
Martin came into the race in Qatar with managed expectations, trying to return to action having missed all three races of the season due to injuries sustained during the pre-season tests.
Lasting throughout the weekend would be a great success, he had said in the press conference last Thursday.
“From a physical point of view, I am not 100% and I don’t really know what to expect,” Martin explained. “I have good strength, but I still feel pain. The important thing will be to do laps.”
Despite having lasted through the practice sessions, qualifying and the sprint, the 2024 MotoGP World Champion had looked far from his best.
The crash has now put Martin’s hopes of defending the title at bay as Marc Marquez — who won in Qatar after 11 long years — leads the championship rankings with 123 points, bagging three wins in four races so far.
