Martin pulls out of Malaysian GP due to fracture; Alex Marquez takes pole from Marc (Credit: MOTOGP)
Sepang (Malaysia), October 31 (IANS): Jorge Martin has pulled out of the Malaysian Grand Prix after initially being in line to race at the Sepang International Circuit here.
The Aprilia rider has withdrawn from the weekend due to a writs fracture he picked up during the Australian Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday. He featured in the practice sessions on Friday, just six days after breaking his wrist during a crash at the Sprint.
"He made a superhuman effort, but it’s official: Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) will not be able to race in the Malaysian GP. Just six days after breaking his wrist in Australia, the 2024 Champion and 2026 title contender returned to the track on Friday at Sepang, doing 12 laps in the morning session and then a few more in the afternoon before ending his day early, intending to recharge for more on Saturday," MotoGP wrote in a statement.
"Unfortunately, after more time on track in FP2 ahead of qualifying, it was confirmed: Martin has withdrawn from the event. The #89 will remain on the sidelines, targeting next time out for another shot at his return," it added.
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez snatched pole from his elder brother Marc Marquez during qualifying. Alex Marquez (Bk8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) nailed a brilliant 1:56.493 lap to take the Saturday morning P1 honours from World Championship leader Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team).
It went down to the wire, with just 0.070s separating the two in Q2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) claimed third, while Ai Ogura finished fourth ahead of fellow title contender Marco Bezzecchi.
Coming back to Martin, the Aprilia rider was 10 points behind championship leader Marquez ahead of the Malaysian GP. He was given the green light to feature in Friday morning’s session before being cleared to race for the remainder of the weekend.
The Spaniard was a distant 20th in FP1, heroically completing 12 laps on his bike, and then finished 21st in the afternoon practice after completing a few laps. The championship battle now seems to be slipping away from the Spaniard, as he won't be there for the Sepang International Circuit Sprint or Sunday’s race.
