Jorge Martin Battles Thumb Injury and Penalties in Thrilling Austrian MotoGP Sprint

Jorge Martin has highlighted a significant issue stemming from a thumb injury he sustained during this weekend's Austrian MotoGP Sprint, referring to it as a "big problem."

Jorge Martin experienced a rollercoaster weekend at the Austrian MotoGP, featuring multiple detours off the track during practice sessions, setting a new lap record during qualifying, and despite receiving a penalty in the Sprint race, he impressively bounced back to finish second.

Arguably, the strangest incident Martin experienced over the weekend was a thumb injury he sustained during his Friday night shower.

Overall, Martin doesn't find it too challenging to ride. "It's fine when I'm riding," Martin shared with MotoGP.com following the Austrian Sprint. "I have a bit of difficulty properly engaging the [ride height] device, perhaps. That's the primary concern, but it's not a major issue."

Yet, Martin perceives a particular zone where he believes the injury is greatly affecting him.

"At the outset, it's a significant issue," Martin conceded. "I fell back two spots — usually, I kick off pretty strong, but the clutch isn't really working for me.

"I accept the situation as it stands. I'm aiming to better my performance by tomorrow, particularly aiming to secure the lead position at the start of the race."

Initially falling behind, Martin managed to reclaim the top position in the Sprint from Francesco Bagnaia during the first lap. However, after failing to navigate the 2a-2b chicane properly due to a braking mishap, the Pramac Ducati competitor was penalized with a long lap.

Martin acknowledges that the penalty aligns with the regulations; however, he believes that since he fell from first to second position after cutting the chicane, the penalty warrants reconsideration.

Martin expressed, "I believe my performance in the race could have been slightly improved if not for the penalty. While I acknowledge it's justified since it aligns with the rules, I do feel it merits a second look. Despite taking a shortcut, I went from leading to second place, which clearly indicates a loss of time on my part."

Martin's penalty set him back by approximately four seconds behind the leader, Bagnaia, who ultimately secured the victory in the race.

"Martin expressed to MotoGP.com's Simon Crafar at the Sprint podium that he believes the show would improve without the extended lap since he had a strategy to test out. “I was right behind Pecco, and the first two laps were incredible. I truly had a great time,” he shared.

In a conversation with Jack Appleyard of MotoGP.com following the award ceremony, Martin shared his belief that he was matching Bagnaia's speed prior to receiving the penalty.

"Martin commented, “I believe our speeds [relative to Bagnaia] are quite comparable. Definitely, after the extended lap, there wasn't anything left for me to achieve, so my focus was on completing the race. However, at the start, I felt vigorous and sensed that he was right on my tail, without gaining any distance.”

Martin believes this bodes well for the Grand Prix on Sunday.

"I believe that tomorrow, we have the opportunity to engage in our match, to compete against him and, with some luck, keep pace with him until the final moments. Then, we'll see what unfolds."

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