Jorge Martín Rides with Fractured Radius in Qatar GP Practice

Jorge Martín delivered a strong performance in the first free practice sessions for the Qatar Grand Prix, setting the seventh fastest time. Diari de Girona reported that Martín, riding with a fractured right radius, was able to complete four or five run-offs of four to five laps each during Friday’s sessions at the Losail Circuit in Doha, a significant improvement over his condition in Malaysia.

The Madrid native posted the seventh-fastest time of 1:51.041, a result that secured his direct entry into Q2, a feat Pedro Acosta (KTM, 14th, 1:51.575) did not achieve. According to Diari de Girona, two Ducatis stood out in the sessions, with Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio— who secured his first MotoGP victory at Losail in 2023— and Catalan rider Marc Márquez both showing strong pace. Completing the top three was Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), alongside Martín, the other rider who can delay Márquez’s anticipated championship victory until the Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão on November 22.

Márquez Los Chain but Sets Lap Record

Digga, as Márquez is known, was exceptionally fast throughout both Friday sessions, which began in natural daylight and continued under the hundreds of floodlights that illuminate the Losail track at night. The rider, a protégé of Valentino Rossi, bettered the existing Losail circuit record held by Márquez himself (1:50.499, in 2025) and set a new benchmark of 1:50.406, as reported by Diari de Girona.

Despite his speed, Márquez encountered a technical issue during the second session when the chain on his Desmosedici came loose. For Márquez, the path to a tenth world title is clear: he will clinch the championship if, by the end of the weekend, he accumulates 30 more points than Martín and eight more than Bezzecchi. A win in the sprint today, for instance, would award 12 points, while victory in the main race on Sunday would add 25.

Martín’s Recovery and Pain Management

Paolo Bonora, the technical director of the Aprilia Racing team, acknowledged to DAZN that Martín is “much better than in Malaysia.” However, Bonora clarified that the team cannot guarantee that “Martinator” will be able to compete in both today’s sprint and Sunday’s main race with the confidence needed to finish in the top five, a result that would be crucial for keeping his own title hopes alive.

“When I say he’s better, I mean that even though the pain is still there and can be managed more or less with painkillers, at least in the first few laps, he has much more control of the bike,” Bonora explained, as quoted by Diari de Girona. “He can tackle the direction changes, which are always violent, with better composure and less pain than in Sepang, where it was impossible to ride with even a decent chance of a good result.”

This assessment was corroborated by reports that Martín’s condition in Malaysia was compromised not just by the pain from the fracture, but by the lack of control he had over his Aprilia, which would “flick” violently on the track, making it difficult to manage.

Martín’s Mindset and Upcoming Challenges

Martín himself expressed pride in his rapid recovery and his determination to fight on. “It was just a few days ago that I broke my radius, and here I am, trying to fight as I always have,” he said. “The truth is I feel better than in Sepang, where it was impossible to ride in even acceptable conditions,” he told Diari de Girona.

The rider believes the shorter format of today’s sprint race—11 laps compared to Sunday’s main event—could play to his advantage. “The sprint today might be better for me than the main race on Sunday, which is a complete unknown,” he stated. “We hope the hand continues to behave as it has, which has allowed me to ride more or less well. What worries me are the sudden direction changes and also the qualifying tomorrow, as it will be vital to get a spot in the first two rows to try and scrape points in the sprint. That’s what I fear most: the effort of one lap at maximum attack in qualifying.”

Márquez Acknowledges Martín’s Effort

Márquez has not overlooked the significant effort Martín is making to stay in the championship fight. Márquez admitted that his rival is pushing hard to keep his mathematical chances alive, according to Diari de Girona.

The stage is now set for a dramatic weekend. With Márquez looking to wrap up his title and Martín fighting to keep the dream alive, all eyes will be on the Qatar sprint race this afternoon at 17:00 local time on DAZN, followed by the main Grand Prix on Sunday. The outcome of these races will determine whether Márquez can celebrate his tenth title in Qatar or if Martín can force the battle to continue.

More on this story: Jorge Martín cleared for Sepang practice by MotoGP staff · Jorge Martín withdraws from Malaysian Grand Prix due to wrist injury

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