Injured Jorge Martin faces “huge challenge” - “I know something about it…”

Jorge Martin has been dealt a blunt warning about his unfortunate start to 2025 by a fellow rider who went through similar struggles.

Last year, it was Franco Morbidelli whose preseason and whose adaptation to a new manufacturer was ruined by injury.

Morbidelli, transitioning from a Yamaha to a Ducati, crashed badly in a private test.

His recovery time meant that, in the first five rounds of 2024, he registered a P7, two P18s and two retirements.

MotoGP champion Martin injured his hand last week in Sepang, scuppering his first official test on an Aprilia.

Martin missed the Buriram test and there is no timescale on his comeback but his title defence is already an uphill battle.

“For sure, Jorge will face a big challenge, a huge challenge,” Morbidelli said.

“I know something about it. There are differences with what I faced, and what he faces.

“He will take it in a great way because he is the world champion.”

Franco Morbidelli advice to Jorge Martin

Morbidelli explained his adaptation to a new bike while recovering from injury last year: “I felt comfortable from the first time I jumped on the bike, after the injury.

“I came to Qatar, three months without riding a bike. I got close to the points in the race, and in wet FP2 I was 11th.

“I was impressed. It showed me how good the bike was, how comfortable I was.

“I knew I had to work on understanding other things that make you quick consistently.

“The first time I felt competitive was Mugello. I was P4 and P5 in the sprint and main race. I did 44.7 in qualifying.

“It made me understand how competitive we could be.”

He added: “The challenges I faced last year were big, huge.

“The first one was massive. I learned to approach quickly, as quickly as I can, new stuff.

“I understood things as quickly as I could, and did the best with what I had, even if it doesn’t feel perfect.”

Morbidelli swapped Pramac for VR46 this year, remaining on a year-old Desmosedici.

But he will be surrounded by a new team and a new crew.

Morbidelli is making up for lost time: “We all knew that there were things I didn’t have a chance to try, because I was following. We were racing so we didn’t have time to try more things.

“We both knew what we needed to try. Moreover, we’ve tried stuff that I tried last year, just to reconfirm.

“It’s important to get to know each other very well for the start of the season.

“It’s what I missed last year. It’s important when you meet up with a new crew.”