Jorge Martin: 'Unlucky' Aprilia Racing rider warned of 'long-winded' recovery after third major injury, says Neil Hodgson
Published 25/04/2025 at 14:30 GMT+1
TNT Sports MotoGP experts Neil Hodgson and Sylvain Guintoli have been discussing the latest injury that has derailed Jorge Martin's title defence, after he suffered a collapsed lung and 11 broken ribs in Qatar. Hodgson suffered a similar injury during his career and explained the "long-winded" rehabilitation process for the "unlucky" rider, who could be sidelined for three months.
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World champion Jorge Martin has once again been sidelined after suffering a "horrible" injury during Grand Prix Qatar, and has been warned of the "long-winded" recovery ahead of him.
After returning from a training injury sustained in December, the Aprilia rider - who missed the first three Grands Prix of the season - crashed on the 14th lap in Qatar before he was hit by Fabio di Giannantonio while on the tarmac.
He suffered a collapsed lung and 11 broken ribs as a result, which could rule him out of action for another three months.
Martin will consequently be absent for the Grand Prix Spain this weekend - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - and MotoGP expert Neil Hodgson had his say on the matter after going through a similar injury during his career.
"[I had] exactly the same. I broke every rib on my left-hand side, and it sounds very similar where I had breaks in certain places and fractures," he told TNT Sports during Friday's opening practice session.
"The problem is then, obviously, the [collapsed] lung is so sensitive, and whilst trying to get it back working correctly, it builds a lot of fluid so you have to drain it, which is not a nice experience.
"It’s just one of those long-winded [injuries]. If anyone has broken one rib or fractured one rib [you can’t do anything], sneezing is the worst. Imagine when you’ve broken them all and you’ve sat there draining.
"I saw pictures of him and I’ve seen him look down before, pale and beaten up, but seeing him, he looks so bad, I felt so sorry for him. He came back [and suffered] a third big injury this year on the bounce.
"He was doing such a good job, he was sticking in there and it was just bad luck. He lost the front, it was a normal crash in a race and it was so unlucky that Fabio Di Giannantonio was right behind him, he just clipped him.
"He was, believe it or not, quite lucky because had he have hit him, it could have been a lot worse. It’s a horrible injury to have and he’ll be out for, I can’t see it being three months, but more like two."
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Making his return in Qatar, Sylvain Guintoli was left impressed by the Spaniard's showing, considering his lack of racing on the track this season.
"Jorge Martin in Qatar was surprising," he told TNT Sports.
"He came back with almost no riding during the winter, he basically did 13 laps in Sepang, including two crashes.
"He came back, still massively injured with the pains and the lack of movement and lack of mobility, but he was really competitive, really strong.
- Martin starting to 'feel better’ but still has ‘intense’ pain after suffering collapsed lung
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- 'He's destroying you' - Hodgson warns Bagnaia that he is being 'trounced' by team-mate Marquez
"He overtook Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] in the sprint, that’s how good he was. He was very close in front of Marco Bezzecchi, you wouldn’t expect that.
"Jorge Martin is very much missing [this weekend], it’s such a shame about that injury because you can’t help but think he would have been competitive."
How to watch Grand Prix Spain
The Grand Prix Spain's race weekend gets underway on Friday, April 25 and will run until Sunday, April 27.
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