Jorge Martin has confirmed he will not undergo arm pump surgery, opting instead for what Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola described as the "lower risk" choice. The reigning world champion holds a 12-point lead over Marc Marquez and a 42-point advantage over teammate Marco Bezzecchi heading into five overseas races in six weekends — and he has decided the timing for a procedure is wrong.
Martin's decision follows a commanding weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he won the sprint and finished second in the main race at the Red Bull Ring. The Spaniard had revealed after the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano that forearm tightness had cost him victory, dropping him from first to fifth. He had said a post-Austria evaluation would determine whether surgery was necessary, but after his strong Spielberg showing, he concluded rest was the better course.
"I had arm pump back in 2019 and had surgery for it then," Martin explained. "I haven't had any problems since then. But I know from other riders that the problems returned years later and they had to have another operation."
Aprilia's backing of Martin's choice is significant. The Italian manufacturer now frames the no-surgery call as a calculated gamble — keeping its championship leader on the RS-GP rather than risking months of recovery at a critical juncture. The next two rounds, in Japan and Indonesia, represent a brutal double-header where any points lost could reshape the title fight.
Carlo Pernat, Martin's long-time agent, offered a more cautious assessment. Speaking to MotoSan, Pernat said the decision was "50% correct and 50% incorrect," warning that compartment syndrome can appear without warning and render a rider's arm unusable mid-race.
"He should be careful, because this compartment syndrome can strike suddenly, almost without warning, and the arm can become unusable," Pernat said. "I hope it was the right one."
Pernat also narrowed the title fight to three riders: Marquez, Martin, and Bezzecchi. He acknowledged that Ai Ogura's injury and Pedro Acosta's sprint crash in Austria removed two potential contenders, calling it "a shame" for both but insisting the championship remained compelling.
Martin acknowledged the stakes. "I've got the pace, the bike and the team; I feel ready for the World Championship title — nothing's missing," he said. "But now there are questions about my arm. If the problems resurface, they might cost me the championship. Or maybe not — I don't know."
The surgical window may now be closing. With the Japan-Indonesia double-header followed by a compressed run to the season finale, any operation would have risked multiple missed rounds. Martin chose to keep racing — but with the understanding that the condition could return at any moment.
Sources
- https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1105455/1/jorge-martin-arm-surgery-decision-aprilia-backs-lower-risk-option
- https://www.gpblog.com/en/motogp/marc-marquez-jorge-martin-motogp-title-injury-surgery
