Martin to undergo surgery after breaking collarbone in Japanese GP sprint

Aprilia MotoGP rider Jorge Martin will undergo a surgery on the collarbone he broke during a nasty opening-lap crash in the Japanese Grand Prix sprint.

Starting from 17th on the grid, Martin got his braking wrong into Turn 1, after being squeezed out by his rivals and making contact with the Gresini Ducati of Fermin Aldeguer.

This sent him shooting into his team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, with both immediately ending up in the gravel.

The Spaniard was immediately taken to the medical centre for check-ups, and x-ray scans revealed that he had suffered a displaced fracture in his right collarbone, ruling him out of Sunday's race.

“Jorge Martin has undergone medical examinations at the circuit medical centre,” read a statement. 

“The X-rays revealed a displaced fracture of the right collarbone. The rider will be transferred by helicopter to the Dokkyo Medical University Hospital for a CT scan to make the best assessment of the situation.”

Following further evaluation, it was decided that Martin will go under the knife in Spain on Monday.

"Tomorrow morning Jorge Martin will fly back to Spain," a statement from Aprilia read. "On Monday, at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, he will undergo surgery for the reduction and fixation of a fracture of the right collarbone.

"The operation will be performed by Dr. Xavier Mir and his medical team."

Bezzecchi is also undergoing medical checks to his right leg, according to a statement by Aprilia.

Speaking to DAZN, MotoGP doctor Angel Charte provided a more detailed update on their condition. 

“Marco Bezzecchi has a severe contusion on the abductor muscle of his right leg, but it does not involve any pathology other than the pain he may be experiencing. We will treat him with rehabilitation, anti-inflammatories, and little else," he said.

"With Martin, it's raining on wet ground. He has a fracture in his right collarbone, in the middle third, which is completely displaced.

"I have transferred him to the hospital for a CT scan, so that the displacement does not rub against the lung area. He is conscious, stable, everything is fine. He is a little sedated because of the pain."

The accident compounds a bruising first season at the Noale factory for Martin, who already missed the 10 races in the first half of the year due to injuries.

He first crashed at the start of the pre-season testing in Sepang, before suffering another accident while training for the Thailand opener.

He made his debut on the RS-GP in the Qatar Grand Prix, only to crash again and get hit by the VR46 Ducati of Fabio di Giannantonio. The incident resulted in broken ribs and a lung injury, forcing him out of action until the Czech GP in July.

It’s unclear how long it will take for Martin to recover from his latest accident.