The reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martín was diagnosed with six rib fractures following a violent accident during the Qatar GP, a race that marked his return to competition after a period of absence due to previous injuries.
The Aprilia pilot had not returned to the track since February, when he underwent multiple injuries on the first day of pre-season trials in Malaysia. The situation worsened when Martín fractured his left wrist during a training session in preparation for the GP in Thailand, which forced him to miss the first three rounds of the world championship.
Finally authorized by doctors to return to competition this weekend in Qatar, Spaniard showed encouraging signs behind the steering wheel of the APRILIA FUSINE: he qualified in 14th position, just a tenth and a half to win a place in Q2. During the Sprint race on Saturday, he stayed close to the top 10 before going down to the 16th position.
The Sunday Grand Prix, made up of 22 laps, turned out to be even more difficult for Martín, and at one point, he was out of the points when he lost control of his aprilia RS-GP at the 12th round of the 14th round. He required immediate medical assistance on site and was then transported to the circuit medical center for an assessment.
APRILIA first confirmed that the pilot had not undergone any injury to the members, but he was taken to the hospital for additional tests: ‘Jorge Martín has undergone thoracic trauma, the pilot is aware and has no problems with his members. He has a costal contusion on the right side of the chest with a pneumothorax. He will be brought to the hospital to pass a scanner to continue the exam, ‘ announced the manufacturer at the time.
A subsequent update of the Italian brand has revealed that Martín will remain hospitalized in Doha for a few days for the treatment of the collapsed lung:
– Jorge Martín has undergone a scanner which has shown an increase in pneumothorax, which will make it necessary to set up suction drainage. The pilot will have to stay under observation for a few days in the hospital until the pneumothorax is resolved.
The team then confirmed that Martin had also been diagnosed with six rib fractures : ‘The final examination also revealed the presence of six fractures of the right posterior arches, from the first to sixth’.
The next GP will take place in Jerez, in Spain, in two weeks, a race that Martin would have considered an excellent opportunity to continue his adaptation to the RS-GP, especially given the post-course test planned for Monday following the event.
