Martín says 2026 MotoGP title is ‘already lost’ after Malaysian GP withdrawal

News Summary

• Jorge Martín admitted that he considers the 2026 MotoGP title effectively lost after withdrawing from the Malaysian Grand Prix because of his injured right wrist.
• The Aprilia rider attempted to compete at Sepang but experienced increasing pain and lacked the strength needed to brake consistently.
• Marc Márquez extended his championship lead to 19 points after finishing second in Saturday’s sprint, while Martín targets a possible return at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Jorge Martín has admitted that his chances of winning the 2026 MotoGP World Championship have been severely compromised after a wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Aprilia rider attempted to return to action at Sepang on Saturday (31), just one week after fracturing his right wrist at Phillip Island, but increasing pain and a lack of strength made it impossible to continue.

The Spaniard arrived in Malaysia trailing Marc Márquez by ten points in the Riders’ Championship. That deficit subsequently increased to 19 points after the Ducati rider finished second in the Malaysian sprint, while Martín remained on 355 points because of his withdrawal.

Martín admits championship is ‘already lost’ after Sepang setback

Martín’s decision to withdraw represents another major development in a title battle that had remained extremely close until the Australian Grand Prix.

The 2024 world champion arrived at Phillip Island leading Marc Márquez by two points, but his campaign changed dramatically when he crashed during the sprint and fractured his right wrist.

Márquez won the Australian sprint, moving ten points ahead, before Sunday’s race was cancelled because of weather conditions that prevented the medical helicopter from operating safely.

Martín travelled to Malaysia hoping to minimise the damage and keep his championship challenge alive.

However, his attempted comeback ended before qualifying, forcing him to accept that his chances of regaining the lead had diminished significantly.

Speaking to reporters at Sepang, Martín acknowledged the mathematical possibility of winning the championship but admitted that he no longer regarded it as a realistic immediate objective.

“Maybe I can win it, but for me it’s already lost,” Martín said.

Despite that assessment, the Spaniard insisted that he would continue fighting for Aprilia and the people supporting him.

He also emphasised that his previous world championship success meant he had nothing left to prove in terms of his ability to compete at the highest level.

Martín’s priority is now recovering sufficiently to return to competitive racing, rather than taking unnecessary risks to preserve a shrinking championship opportunity.

Wrist pain and braking weakness force Martín to abandon comeback

Martín suffered a fracture to his right wrist during the Australian sprint and immediately began an intensive recovery programme.

The injury had not fully healed when he arrived at Sepang, but the Aprilia rider believed the progress made during the week might allow him to compete.

He underwent treatment and attempted to evaluate his physical condition on the motorcycle before qualifying.

Initially, Martín was encouraged by the limited discomfort he experienced during the opening part of his running.

However, the pain increased as he completed more laps, making it increasingly difficult to maintain a consistent pace.

The main problem was the lack of strength required to operate the motorcycle under heavy braking.

At a circuit such as Sepang, where riders must repeatedly slow from high speed into demanding corners, that limitation presented a significant obstacle.

Martín explained that he could ride relatively comfortably for approximately one lap before the pain began affecting his performance.

As the session continued, he found it increasingly difficult to maintain his braking technique and control the motorcycle consistently.

The rider and Aprilia subsequently reviewed his lap times and physical condition before deciding that continuing the weekend would offer little sporting benefit.

The team also considered the risk of aggravating the fracture in another crash.

Martín refuses to repeat mistakes from previous injury comeback

The decision to withdraw was influenced by Martín’s experience of returning too early from previous injuries.

During the 2025 season, the Spaniard attempted to resume racing after suffering serious injuries during the opening part of the year.

His recovery was complicated by further physical setbacks, leaving him with a difficult and interrupted campaign.

Martín acknowledged that those experiences had changed his approach to managing injuries.

Rather than forcing himself to compete at Sepang, he decided to prioritise the healing process and avoid another potentially damaging crash.

The Aprilia rider explained that continuing would have placed additional strain on the injured wrist without offering a realistic prospect of a competitive result.

His physical limitations also made it difficult to complete a full Grand Prix distance.

The Malaysian race is scheduled for 20 laps, requiring repeated heavy braking and significant physical effort in the hot and humid conditions.

Although Martín had demonstrated enough mobility to ride the RS-GP26, he did not believe he could maintain the necessary performance throughout the race.

The withdrawal was therefore agreed with Aprilia before the start of qualifying.

Marc Márquez extends championship lead after Malaysian sprint

Martín’s absence provided Márquez with another opportunity to strengthen his position in the Riders’ Championship.

The Ducati rider qualified second at Sepang, just 0.070s behind pole-sitter Álex Márquez, before taking second place in Saturday’s sprint.

Pedro Acosta won the Malaysian sprint ahead of Marc Márquez and Marco Bezzecchi, collecting 12 championship points for KTM.

Márquez earned nine points for second place, increasing his championship total to 374.

Martín remained on 355, leaving the Ducati rider with a 19-point advantage before Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Bezzecchi moved to 322 points after finishing third, while Acosta consolidated fourth place with 275.

The latest results also reinforced Aprilia’s position in the Teams’ and Constructors’ Championships, despite Martín’s absence.

MotoGP 2026 — Leading riders after Malaysian GP sprint

The complete MotoGP standings after the Malaysian sprint, including the Riders’, Teams’ and Constructors’ Championships, show Aprilia leading both manufacturers’ competitions despite Ducati holding the advantage in the riders’ title race.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its MotoGP section.