MotoGP legend offers warning to Jorge Martin about rushing injury recovery

MotoGP legend Kenny Roberts Senior has warned Jorge Martin about rushing his return to racing, stating “there is life after motorcycle racing”.

Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin has been out of action since injuring himself after 13 laps of pre-season testing in February in a crash, which he followed with a second tumble in training prior to the Thai Grand Prix.

The latter injury to his wrist proved to be more complicated, with Martin missing the first three rounds of the 2025 campaign.

He is due to make his return next weekend in Qatar having cleared his latest medical examination on Wednesday.

Three-time 500cc world champion Roberts missed the opening round of the 1979 season due to serious injury from a testing crash, though came back to win the title.

The American legend offered words of caution to Martin, telling MotoGP’s official website: “All I can say is that when he comes back, I’d like to see him healthy.

“Sometimes they come back too soon. They don’t know what we know, because I retired a motorcycle racer.

“There’s life after racing. Some of the riders get so focused on what they have to do, how they have to win, championships, whatever, they are very closed.

“And you can open it up a little bit and there is life after racing motorcycles. I just hope when he comes back he’s fit and ready to ride the motorcycle properly.”

Multiple grand prix winner Randy Mamola added: “Hands and feet are probably the biggest difficulty.

“Yes shoulders and so on, but because in the metacarpal you have so many bones that move with your hands and your feet, that are so delicate and important, when you stick a plate in there it’s foreign and makes it very difficult.

“So, it’s been very long-term but I think it’s very correct.”

Jorge Martin will face “uncertainty” when he returns

If he does return to action in Qatar, Martin will begin his title defence season 87 points back of current championship leader Marc Marquez.

Pecco Bagnaia did overturn a 91-point deficit at the midway point of the 2022 campaign to win his first title, but few are predicting a repeat for Martin in 2025.

“The difficult part is not recovering from the injury: you’re out of the championship,” 1990 250cc world champion John Kocinski said.

“His championship hopes are finished. You can’t probably recover that many points; probably it’s impossible.

“Anything’s possible, but you have to have the front guys fall out of four, five races, which is probably not going to happen.

“So, you feel like one year has gone and if you could fast-forward the year to start ’26, that’s what you’re thinking because you want to fight for the title.”

Double 500cc world champion Freddie Spencer believes Martin will return facing “uncertainty” given the current domination of Ducati and Marc Marquez, as well as the fact he needs to adjust the Aprilia.

“You win the championship, then you have this injury,” Spencer said.

“It’s frustrating, but it’s also the uncertainty - coming back, seeing the domination that Marc is doing.

“And in Jorge’s case, not only that, but he’s going into another team. And so that’s a challenge in itself and he has no real testing experience on the bike.”