No surgery, five Asian races: Martin bets on his arm as MotoGP's title run begins at Motegi
Jorge Martin chose not to have arm-pump surgery before MotoGP's five-race Asian swing, starting at Motegi, where he crashed out injured last year.
Jorge Martin starts MotoGP's Asian swing as championship leader, but he arrives at Motegi carrying an arm problem he has chosen not to have operated on. The Aprilia rider's decision to keep racing without surgery is one of the main storylines going into this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Mobility Resort Motegi from 2 to 4 October.
The surgery that didn't happen
Martin had arm pump at Misano, where he faded to fifth. Crash.net reported that he had planned surgery if the problem returned in Austria. It didn't, and he decided against the operation ahead of a demanding five-race Asian tour.
"I will not go into surgery tomorrow. I will try to continue like this," Martin said, adding that "going into surgery is a big risk".
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola backed the call: "The lower risk is not having surgery than having surgery, since he had no problems today."
Martin admitted he still isn't fully fit. "I'm not at my 100%, but I'm feeling much better than I felt in Misano," he said, as quoted by Grande Premio.
Back to the scene of last year's injury
The decision means more because of where the Asian swing begins. Martin crashed at Motegi during the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix weekend and broke his collarbone, one of several injuries that ruined his first season with Aprilia. This year he returns as the championship leader.
Before Japan, Grande Premio lists the standings as follows:
- Jorge Martin (Aprilia) – 306 points
- Marc Marquez (Ducati) – 294
- Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) – 264
- Pedro Acosta (KTM) – 234
With 37 points available this weekend, 12 in the Sprint and 25 in the Grand Prix, Marquez needs to outscore Martin by at least 13 points to take the lead in Japan.
Confidence in the Aprilia camp
Martin praised his team going into the swing. "We are working very well as a team, and I want to thank Aprilia for the great job they are doing," he said, according to GPOne. He added that the Asian rounds will likely decide the season.
Team-mate Bezzecchi, third in Austria, likes the Japanese circuit. "I like the Motegi track very much, and we did pretty well there last year," he said. He finished fourth at Motegi in 2025, according to Sky Sport Italia.
Why Malaysian fans should care
The flyaway run also brings MotoGP to Sepang for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix later this season. The state of Martin's arm after Motegi and the following races could decide whether the title is still open when the series reaches Sepang. Motegi's 4.8km layout has hard braking zones, which test the forearms, so this weekend will show whether skipping surgery was the right decision.
Japan is one hour ahead of Malaysia, so Saturday's Sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix will run in the early afternoon Malaysian time. Check your broadcaster for exact local times.
Key takeaways
- Martin decided against arm-pump surgery after a problem-free Austrian GP.
- He leads Marquez by 12 points (306–294) going into Motegi.
- Marquez needs to outscore Martin by 13 points or more to take the lead this weekend.
- Martin returns to the circuit where he broke his collarbone in 2025.
FAQ
Why didn't Jorge Martin have surgery? He had no arm-pump problems in Austria, and both he and Aprilia decided surgery was the bigger risk before the Asian races.
Can Marc Marquez take the MotoGP lead at Motegi? Yes, if he outscores Martin by at least 13 points across the Sprint and the Grand Prix.
When is the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix? The event runs from 2 to 4 October 2026 at Mobility Resort Motegi, with the Sprint on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Sources: Crash.net, Grande Premio, GPOne, Sky Sport Italia, MotoGP.com