MotoGP: Jorge Martin Injured After Shower Goes Wrong

Saajan Jogia | Aug 17, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Jorge Martin (89) of Spain and Prima Pramac Racing waves to the fans after the Americas Grand Prix sprint race at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin managed to seize pole position from his championship rival Francesco Bagnaia at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, despite a Friday night shower incident that left him bleeding profusely.

The Pramac Ducati rider's injury didn't prevent him from delivering a flawless performance. He sustained a cut from a sharp metal object while climbing out of the shower, requiring stitches on his palm before he could get back on the bike Saturday morning.

The 26-year-old rider admitted that while the injury didn't significantly impact his qualifying, it did cause some discomfort. However, securing pole position boosted his confidence for Sunday's race as he aims to extend his championship lead. He shared images of the injury on social media platform X, accompanied by a message for his fans:

"Pole! For all those who ask me, yesterday I cut my finger in my room and today I woke up worse than I expected. Thanks to all the medical team. We will give our 100% in the race! " (Translated by Google)

Pole☝🏻! Para tod@s aquell@s que me preguntáis, ayer en mi habitación me hice un corte en el dedo y hoy me he despertado peor de lo que me esperaba. Gracias a todo el equipo médico 🫡 ¡Daremos nuestro 100% en carrera! 😉 #AustrianGP🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/XTVKKvZnQ7

— Jorge Martín Almoguera (@88jorgemartin) August 17, 2024

Speaking to the media about the "difficult morning," Martin also expressed delight at securing his third pole position at the Red Bull Ring. He said:

“It was a difficult morning!

“Yesterday I got this cut on my [thumb]. I thought it would be better but this morning it was really painful.

“They stitched me and at least I can ride. Riding is not a big problem, even if it’s disturbing me a little bit.

“But now I feel confident, doing this amazing lap record here. It’s a really nice track for me and my third pole position here, so let’s enjoy it.”

Jorge Martin shattered the lap record in Austria, beating Bagnaia's previous best of 1m 27.748 by 0.141 seconds in qualifying. Marc Marquez trailed in third by over half a second. Bagnaia displayed an impressive pace early in Q2, holding the top spot until Martin edged him out in the final minutes.

Although Bagnaia had to abort his final flying lap, he will still start from second, alongside Marquez on the front row. This marks the first time this season that Martin, Bagnaia, and Marquez have all qualified together on the front row.

For the 2025 season, Martin will join Aprilia Racing on a multi-year contract, stepping in for the retiring Aleix Espargaro. This move follows four seasons with Ducati, during which Martin narrowly missed out on securing a coveted factory seat, losing to the six-time MotoGP champion Marquez.