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Jorge Martin set for surgery after violent MotoGP practice crash

Jorge Martin requires surgery on a fractured hand and foot following a violent crash during FP3 for the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix, which has ruled him out of the race.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing crashed bike

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing crashed bike

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin came off his Ducati at the Turn 7 right-hander while he was on an out lap in the closing stages of this morning’s practice.

Though it’s still unclear how the crash happened, Martin was heavily knocked around when he hit the gravel trap and required medical assistance.

The session was red-flagged while medics attended to Martin, who was declared conscious but had to be stretchered off track into an ambulance to be taken to the medical centre.

Martin has been declared unfit for the rest of the weekend after suffering contusions to his head, hand and ankle.

A brief update from MotoGP read: “Rider #89 Jorge Martin has been declared unfit with a head contusions, right hand and ankle contusion.

“He will be transferred to hospital for further medical checks.”

Marshals and Mediacal team at Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing after the crash

Marshals and Mediacal team at Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing after the crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Ahead of MotoGP’s announcement, Pramac rider coach Fonsi Nieto told Spanish television: “After the scare, they told us that things are fine.

“His hand and his leg hurt a lot, but he is conscious. We are not thinking about tomorrow, only that he recovers physically.”

MotoGP’s Doctor Angle Charte admits he was concerned about a possible fracture in Martin’s hand and says the Spaniard may have lost consciousness briefly in the accident.

"Severe, high-energy trauma with several twists and turns,” Charte said to DAZN.

“Initially he was conscious on the floor, but when the doctors arrived it appeared that he had momentarily lost consciousness.

“The neurological examination was normal, always conscious and oriented, and [he’s] in a lot of pain.

“The initial diagnosis is a cranioencephalic traumatism and several polytraumatisms with the possibility of several fractures, probably in the hand and foot (right).

“We have decided to evacuate him to the hospital in Faro, where he will undergo a complete CAT scan.

“The prognosis is not serious, but guarded.

“There is a fracture (hand) that I don't like very much but I want to have a scan, which will tell us if he has to undergo surgery. He also has a lot of pain in his knee.”

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing crashed bike

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing crashed bike

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

It has now been confirmed Martin suffered fractures in both his hands and on his right ankle, with the injuries in his right hand and ankle requiring surgery.

All of this comes just two weeks after Martin emerged as one of the heroes of the Doha Grand Prix weekend in Qatar.

The rookie stormed to a maiden pole position ahead of Pramac team-mate Johann Zarco in the second Qatar round, before leading the race for 17 laps and finishing third.

Martin’s performances across the Doha weekend courted praise from many big names from the MotoGP paddock, including triple MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo, who likened Martin’s riding to his own and to double champion Casey Stoner’s.

The Portugal weekend has also been a bruising one for LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami, who suffered a fast crash at the start of FP2 on Friday.

Nakagami was thrown from his Honda on the crest on the run to Turn 1 in FP2 and hurt his shoulder, as well as taking a lot of skin off his leg.

He was able to return to the session after checks and rode on Saturday morning despite experiencing more pain in his shoulder.

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