Jorge Martin will continue without immediate surgery after the arm-pump problem that affected him at Misano failed to return in Austria. The Aprilia rider had been ready to undergo an operation if the symptoms came back, having dropped from the lead to fifth at Misano.

His performance at the Red Bull Ring made the less invasive path possible. Martin won the Sprint and took second in the Grand Prix behind Pedro Acosta, while beating Marc Marquez in both races. He said he was still short of full fitness, but felt considerably better than he had at Misano and believed his condition was heading in the right direction.

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said the return to the top of the standings had not shaped Martin’s decision. Rivola considers staying away from surgery the lower-risk choice because Martin experienced no problem in Austria. He also pointed to Martin feeling unwell on the Sunday morning at Misano, allowing that more than one factor may have contributed to the earlier setback.

Martin starts the next phase with a 12-point margin over Marc Marquez and a 42-point margin over Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi. The calendar now brings five overseas events over six weekends, and his right arm will face its next significant examination when practice begins at Motegi. Martin described avoiding the operation as positive news, while acknowledging the substantial risk involved in surgery.