Brad Binder in race of his own in Malaysia as he tries to make inroads in the MotoGP title race.
Jorge Martin has been declared fit to ride in Free Practice 1 at the Malaysia MotoGP. Picture: Getty Images
The riveting 2026 MotoGP title fight between Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin could produce a dramatic twist this weekend when Martin attempts to brave the Malaysia Grand Prix with a broken wrist.
The 2024 world champion suffered the fracture during a 211km/h crash during the Australia MotoGP sprint race last weekend. The injury ruled him out of the main race which eventually got cancelled because of treacherous weather.
Now all eyes will be on the Aprilia man in Sepang on Friday. He was saved surgery and declared fit to partake in Free Practice 1 despite the recommended healing time for the fracture being five weeks. He admitted himself that he doesn’t know how competitive he’ll be.
Jorge Martin braves storms
After going to Philip Island with a two-point lead in the premier class championship, Martin (355 points) now trails seven-time champion Marquez (365) by 10 points. And the Malaysia MotoGP is the fourth-last round remaining in the season.
“I feel good. It could be better, but it could also be worse,” Martin told gpone.com on Thursday.
“We’ve taken the first step. I’ll be able to get on the bike, but I’ll have to see how I’m doing and how it feels. And then I’ll decide whether or not to continue.
“The only thing I know for sure is that my bone is broken. Trying to race with a broken bone will be very difficult and painful, but I’ll do it because I’m in the fight for the title. If I didn’t, I’d be at home in a cast for a month.
“It’s the only thing I can do, or at least try to do. Even though I don’t know what my chances will be.”
Binder in race of his own
Further down the field, Brad Binder will look to build on what was a promising outing in Australia. The Red Bull KTM man came sixth, his best results in 14 outings, in the sprint race. Binder is 13th in the title race will look to overtake Luca Marini, with who he is tied on 108 points.
Both the sprint and main races start at 9am on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
