Jorge Martin will need to wait a bit longer for his return to MotoGP. The reigning champion has already missed two races this season, and he won’t be back for the next race in America either. Aprilia is still not able to confirm when Martin will return, as he is still recovering from a serious hand injury.

Martin’s problem began when he crashed during training and injured his radius and scaphoid bones. He needed surgery, which forced him to miss pre-season testing and races.

TNT Sports analyst Michael Laverty explained the difficult situation:

“He needs to give his body time to heal. It’s been a frustrating start. He wants to be out there, getting used to the Aprilia and defending his #1 title. But he has no choice but to wait. He’s on a two-year contract, so he just has to focus on getting back in shape. Hopefully, he can return in the European leg of the season and start adapting to the bike.”

And while Martin’s surgery was successful, Aprilia is being very careful about his recovery. The scaphoid bone is tricky to heal, and rushing back too soon could cause long-term problems.

With COTA off the table, the next round is in Qatar in April, but it’s still uncertain if Martin will be ready. Many believe that the European leg in Spain on April 25-27 could be a more realistic target for his return.

For now, we will have to wait for his return to be announced.