Aprilia and Michelin at odds over reason behind Martin’s Sepang crash

Aprilia has not directly pinpointed the blame on Michelin for Jorge Martin’s violent crash initially of MotoGP pre-season testing in Malaysia, however the French tyre provider has dominated itself out of any accountability.

Martin landed face-first after struggling a highside on the second flip of the Sepang Worldwide Circuit, struggling a single fracture on his proper hand and a number of fractures on his left foot.

The reigning champion needed to withdraw from the rest of the check to fly to Barcelona and bear surgical procedure on each his damaged hand and foot and is prone to miss subsequent week’s check at Buriram as properly.

Aprilia acknowledged that its preliminary evaluation had dominated out each mechanical issues and rider error, stating that the crash “apparently [happened] for no motive”.

Nevertheless, intriguingly, it additionally had requested solutions from Michelin in regards to the age of the tyres Martin was using on.

“The one factor I requested Michelin for is the historical past of the [rear] compound. I would not prefer to know that it had been saved for 11 months,” Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola stated, implying that the [medium] tyre Martin was working when he crashed may clarify the crash.

If Rivola didn’t wish to be extra specific in placing the blame, it was doubtless as a result of he is aware of the political energy Michelin has in MotoGP. Earlier than the beginning of final season, all groups had acquired a letter from the IRTA giving them a collection of suggestions in case of a faulty tyre.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing

Photograph by: Aprilia Racing

On this specific case, Michelin not solely had no drawback in acknowledging that the rear tyre used on the time of the accident was certainly manufactured in 2024, however even traced the route it took to being fitted on to the bike.

“The rubber was produced in Clermont Ferrand (France) shortly earlier than final 12 months’s Dutch Grand Prix (30 June). It was taken to Assen however was not used there. It was saved and introduced right here for the check,” stated Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s racing supervisor.

“All this time it has been in a temperature-controlled container. The proof would not point out that there was any drawback. Perhaps it was the temperature, which was decrease than regular, that influenced the truth that the tyre was nonetheless chilly.

“Jorge is a type of riders who, if he had seen one thing unusual, would have instantly requested for a tyre change, however he went on and did 13 laps.”

Martin’s street to restoration

After spending the night time beneath statement at a hospital near Sepang, Martin is now on his approach again to Europe, the place he’ll bear surgical procedure on the fractured little finger on his proper hand within the subsequent few hours. The three fractures he additionally sustained within the third, fourth and fifth metatarsal of his left foot can be handled with a extra conservative restoration remedy.

As soon as he’s out of the primary surgical procedure, he can be operated on by Dr Xavier Mir in Barcelona, earlier than a clearer estimate of how lengthy he can be out of motion may be made.

Given his accidents, it’s unlikely he can be again on observe till at the least the primary race of the season, scheduled for 1-2 March in Buriram.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Staff

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos

If he misses the remainder of pre-season testing, he’ll head to the Thai spherical with solely 90 laps on the Aprilia, 77 of which had been accomplished within the check at Barcelona two days after he was topped 2024 MotoGP world champion.

It appears too early for Martín to have the ability to participate within the Buriram check on 12-13 February, whereas his presence in Bangkok for the season launch occasion can also be unsure.

Martin suffered two crashes initially of the Sepang check on Wednesday. He fell each instances on the identical bike and with the identical specification of tyres.

Learn Additionally:

After an preliminary four-lap stint on the bike with which he completed the Barcelona check with, he switched to a extra developed model of the RS-GP and crashed twice.

He did three laps in a row and crashed at Flip 1. After choosing up the Aprilia from the bottom, he returned to the storage and set off once more. He accomplished a flying lap, and at Flip 2 of the second lap, he suffered the accident that took him straight to hospital.