Jorge Martin withdrew from the remainder of the Malaysian Grand Prix after initially being cleared to race with a fractured right wrist. The Aprilia rider was injured in a crash during the Phillip Island sprint the previous weekend and received permission to ride on Thursday, ahead of the Sepang event.

Martin completed the opening practice session, but left Friday afternoon's session after only a few minutes. Aprilia announced on Saturday morning that he would not continue for the rest of the weekend. Melandri described the fracture as involving the radius, while the right wrist is especially important on a MotoGP bike because the same hand operates the throttle and braking.

A question of consistency

Marco Melandri, a five-time MotoGP race winner, challenged the decision to let Martin try to compete. He contrasted it with Raul Fernandez's case at Mandalika: Fernandez broke a finger, raced the following day and then missed the next two weeks. Melandri's broader question was who determines whether a rider is fit to race and whether comparable injuries are being judged by comparable standards.

Melandri's point is not that Martin lacked a reason to make the attempt. The Spaniard was still pursuing the championship and, as Melandri put it, riders will naturally want to stay on the grid. His criticism concerns the consistency of the fitness decisions: one injured rider was allowed to race, while another later spent two weeks out after a finger fracture. For Melandri, the recurring priority appears to be keeping the show moving rather than applying a clear, uniform threshold.

Martin is due to return to Spain to continue his recovery and is targeting next weekend's Qatar round, provided that event goes ahead. He believes his recovery rate could put him at 80% of full fitness by then. Martin has also called the title fight over, although he intends to keep fighting if he is able to return.

The withdrawal has already changed the championship picture. Marc Marquez leads by 19 points after taking second place in Saturday's Sepang sprint. Martin's next target is therefore a return to Qatar, with his recovery determining whether he can resume the fight without repeating the problem that ended his Malaysian weekend.