Martin suffers fractured ribs in horror return to MotoGP

Martin fell on Lap 14 of the 22-lap race, suffering six fractures to his right posterior ribs.

In the first of several statements, the team said: “Jorge Martin suffered a chest trauma, the rider is conscious without problems with his limbs. Rib contusion on the right thorax with pneumothorax. He will be taken to the hospital to perform a CT for in-depth investigation.”

Upon scans, the team added: “Martin underwent a CT scan that showed an increase in the pneumothorax, this will make it necessary to place a drainage in aspiration. The rider will have to remain under observation for a few days in the hospital until the pneumothorax resolves.”

The team then confirmed the fractured ribs. What it means for his season is unclear, but it marks yet another setback for the 2024 champion who suffered a pre-season testing injury that sidelined him for the first three events of the year in Thailand, Argentina, and the United States.

Marc Marquez led less than half the race at the Lusail International Circuit, backing up his Tissot Sprint win from a day earlier.

🚥LIGHTS OUT in Qatar! 🚥

Contact between the Marquez brothers and FRANKY LEADS 🚀#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/jMMVsZXI6x

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 13, 2025

The Marquez brothers, Marc and Alex, nearly didn’t make it through the first turn after contact just seconds into the start of the race.

That gave Franco Morbidelli the lead briefly on the older Desmosedici GP24 for VR46.

Morbidelli’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio found himself on the receiving end of a shoulder-barge from Alex Marquez on Lap 3.

⚠️ @alexmarquez73 has been handed a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding #QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/XXluCkDUNJ

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 13, 2025

That cast the pair of them wide, dropping the Gresini rider down to eighth and the VR46 star to 21st. That gifted Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia third place on the road.

Alex Marquez was duly delivered a long lap penalty for the clash, which dropped him to 12th.

Bagnaia began to make headway on Lap 5, passing Marc Marquez for second place. On Lap 7, the roles were reversed – the Spaniard making the move on his Italian teammate.

All the while, Morbidelli held sway at the head of the field by less than a second.

On Lap 9, Jack Miller crashed for the third time in three days. That capped off a torrid weekend in which he battled food poisoning.

Tech3 KTM rider Maverick Vinales was the surprise standout in the first half of the race. He made significant headway up to the lead.

At the same time, Morbidelli fell to third as Marquez capitalised on the displaced VR46 rider. A lap later, and Bagnaia was into third.

Just pure heartbreak 💔Grand Prix over for @88jorgemartin #QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/317FMvVAfD

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 13, 2025

Inside 10 laps to go, Martin went down. Knelt at the edge of the circuit, the race stayed green despite being treated by trackside support staff.

With seven laps to go, Marquez made the move on Vinales for the lead and stretched his legs from there.

Marquez claimed victory and Vinales finished a breakthrough second, but was later penalised for a technical infringement.

Officials found his bike did not meet the minimum tyre pressure for 60 percent of the race and duly added 16 seconds to his race time, dropping him to 14th.

Results: MotoGP Qatar Motorcycle Grand Prix