Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola has delivered a stark prognosis on Jorge Martin’s recovery prospects following the Spaniard’s crash at the Australian Grand Prix, casting serious doubt over his participation in the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix. Martin suffered a fractured radius in his right arm during the intense Sprint race, where he was fiercely battling Marc Marquez for the lead before crashing heavily on lap eight and sliding into the gravel.

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Initial fears suggested Martin might have also fractured his ulna, but scans in Melbourne confirmed that the ulna remained intact and the radius fracture was not displaced. Despite avoiding surgery and not traveling to Spain for further treatment, Martin’s plan is to aim for a comeback in Malaysia. However, Rivola’s assessment suggests this may be overly optimistic.

When asked about Martin’s chances of racing at Sepang, Rivola responded bluntly to Motorsport.com’s Spanish edition: “Very difficult. Very, very difficult.” He acknowledged the misfortune surrounding Martin’s season but remained hopeful for a strong recovery: “I hope to see Jorge at Sepang, at least with us, and we’ll see. I think the situation between Aprilia and Jorge was rather unfortunate. The good thing this time is that it was just a broken bone. It’s nothing serious. But I’d like our story to end in the best possible way, with him 100 per cent physically fit.”

Martin’s crash came amid a high-stakes duel with Marquez during the Sprint, which motorcycle racing pundit Neil Hodgson described as “greedy,” with Martin pushing aggressively to close the gap on his championship rival. The crash left Martin scoreless while Marquez claimed victory, seizing a 10-point lead in the title race. Yet, the cancellation of the main Australian Grand Prix race due to poor weather conditions and helicopter inaccessibility prevented Marquez from extending his lead further, keeping the championship battle alive.

Rivola praised Martin’s performance prior to the crash: “Yesterday he put on an incredible show. We saw the real Jorge, and I think he had a chance of winning the race.” He lamented the string of bad luck that has plagued the rider but vowed that Aprilia would persist in supporting him: “We haven’t had much luck with him, but we certainly won’t give up until this is over.”

As the championship fight intensifies, all eyes will be on Martin’s rehabilitation progress and whether he can defy the bleak outlook to return at Sepang fully fit, keeping his title hopes alive.