MotoGP Today | Marquez and Martin address championship battle in Malaysia

During the Sprint at the Australian Grand Prix, Martin fell on Lap 8, and X-rays revealed a fracture of the radius in his forearm. The Aprilia rider will take part in FP1 on Friday, after which he will be assessed to determine whether he is fit to compete for the rest of the weekend.

Currently, the gap between the two contenders stands at 10 points in favor of the defending world champion. Martin avoided losing further ground last Sunday, as the race had to be cancelled due to severe weather conditions.

Speaking to DAZN in Sepang, Marquez joked about the situation the cancellation of the final race at Phillip Island: "I almost grabbed the car and went looking for the helicopter."

On a more serious note, he added: "Whenever a race is cancelled for safety reasons, whether it gives you an advantage or not, you need to be able to accept it."

Marquez also expects Martin to be fast if he is allowed to race this weekend. "I don’t think anyone, other than him and his team, knows the true extent of the injury. But to be honest, for the sake of the battle, he needs to be out there. And if he is truly fit, following the protocol that was applied after our incident in Qatar, then he is fit to race. And if he’s fit to race, Jorge Martin is a fast rider on track."

Speaking to the same Spanish broadcaster, the Aprilia rider said: "I’m here to give it a try. Afterward, I’ll make my next decision whether to continue with the Grand Prix. My expectations are quite low. I’ve done everything I could to arrive in the best possible condition. I’ll try to focus on riding and see how far I can go."

He also highlighted that what's at stake makes him give it a go. "I’m here because a world championship is at stake. If there were nothing at stake, I’d go home, spend a month in a cast, and then perhaps return in Portimao, or maybe not. That’s what my body is telling me to do, and I’m certainly not in the best condition, but I believe I can make it that far and then see how to proceed."

All eyes are on now the first practice session of the weekend. Moreover, Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez is in a similar situation, and will be evaluated after FP1.