Moto GP: Jorge Martin operated on for multiple fractures to his left hand after his accident

MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin, who will miss the first race of the season this weekend in Thailand following a crash, has undergone surgery on his left hand, his Aprilia team said on Tuesday, without specifying the length of his unavailability. "The operation was successful, with the implantation of two screws at the radius fracture and one at the left scaphoid to stabilise and facilitate the healing process," the Italian manufacturer announced in a statement.

Martin, 27, suffered a "complex" fracture of the radius, several bones of the left carpus and at the heel during a training session in Spain on Monday. The "prognosis will be evaluated (...) in the coming days," Aprilia added, which did not give further information on his convalescence.

The crash is another blow for the Spaniard, who joined Aprilia in the off-season after winning his first MotoGP world title last November on a Ducati owned by satellite team Pramac. Having already crashed during the first pre-season tests in early February, Martin had to withdraw from the rest of the tests due to an injury to his right hand, which also required surgery. He was, however, expected to compete in the opening round of the season.

To replace him, the team will call on its test driver Lorenzo Savadori, at least for the Thailand GP. The second race of the year is scheduled two weeks later, on the weekend of March 16, in Argentina.