Jorge Martin has admitted that he is “scared” about potentially needing surgery after developing arm pump at last weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix.
The factory Aprilia rider was leading at Misano when his pace spectacularly collapsed because of the condition, leaving him a distant fifth at the finish and allowing Ducati’s Marc Marquez to draw level with him in the standings.
Martin will continue to assess his condition at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix before deciding whether he needs to undergo an operation.
But with only a short break until the next round in Japan on 3 October, and the championship finely poised, Martin admitted that he is worried about the length of the recovery period should he opt for the surgery.
Asked whether he would be almost 100% fit for Motegi if he underwent surgery next week, he said: “You never know when it's a surgery.
“That's why I'm a bit scared about going into surgery, because everything can be good and I can be on a bike after maybe one week. But it can [also] be bad."
Martin said his apprehension stems from a bruising 2025 campaign in which he suffered four separate injuries and finished just seven of the 22 races.
“I don't have good memories from the past, so I have to be clever and intelligent with these decisions,” he said.
The 2024 MotoGP champion returned to the track on Friday during practice, setting the fifth-fastest time aboard the RS-GP.
While Martin had previously been confident that he would not require surgery on his arm, his first on-track outing since the Misano issue left him less certain about his prognosis.
"This morning, I was 100% sure that no surgery [was needed]. Then in the evening, I had a bit of a doubt, but it's normal," he said.
“I'm getting tired as usual, so I hope that I can continue riding at 100%, and today I was able to do that.
“It was more about finding the set-up, working with the bike, and I was able to work without thinking about it.
“Everything that I did during the week was working well and I feel much better. There will still be a question mark until Sunday after the race, but I felt super good and I think it won't be an issue during the weekend.”
