MotoGP Malaysia 2026: Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer Will Be Absent at Sepang

MotoGP Malaysia 2026 brings contrasting news for five riders struggling with fitness issues. Jorge Martin, Joan Mir, and Luca Marini have received medical clearance to return to the Sepang Circuit. Meanwhile, Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer will be forced to miss the Malaysian Grand Prix due to injury.

This situation means the 19th round of the 2026 MotoGP championship will not only be fiercely contested over track positions, but also defined by the physical condition of the riders. Several competitors will take part while still undergoing incomplete recovery, while others have had their hopes of racing at Sepang cut short entirely.

Jorge Martin Cleared But Remains Under Medical Observation

Jorge Martin is one of the most closely watched riders this weekend. The 2024 MotoGP World Champion was granted medical approval to take part in the first Free Practice session (FP1) on Friday, following examinations held at the Sepang International Circuit.

"Good news! Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) has been given the green light to participate in Friday morning's first free practice session, after completing medical checks at Sepang International Circuit on Thursday," an official MotoGP statement confirmed.

Martin suffered a non-displaced fracture to the lower radius bone in his right wrist following a crash during the MotoGP Australian Sprint race at Phillip Island on Saturday 24 October.

Despite being cleared for FP1, the rider nicknamed 'Martinator' has not been fully released from medical supervision.

He will be required to undergo further assessment immediately after the practice session, to confirm whether he is fit to continue with the remainder of the race weekend programme.

Martin's participation carries huge stakes, as he remains firmly in contention for the world championship title. The Aprilia Racing rider currently sits second in the standings with 355 points, just 10 points behind championship leader Marc Marquez on 365 points.

Joan Mir and Luca Marini Return to Honda Lineup

Positive news also comes from the Honda HRC Castrol camp. Both of their riders, Joan Mir and Luca Marini, have been declared fit to compete after completing medical evaluations at Sepang.

Mir makes his return after missing the last four rounds, having stepped away to deal with health issues involving vision problems and severe fatigue.

The 2020 MotoGP World Champion last competed at the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano Circuit, before taking an extended break to undergo full diagnostic testing and treatment.

Mir admitted his relief at finally being able to rejoin the paddock, after what he described as an extremely uncertain recovery period.

"Honestly I'm just so happy to be back. It's been a really long time stuck at home. This was a very difficult period full of nothing but unknowns for me," Mir stated.

Mir noted that recovering from this type of internal health issue works very differently to healing from a broken bone, and that he could never predict exactly when his body would be ready to race again.

Meanwhile Luca Marini has also received clearance, after suffering a viral infection while in Australia. The Italian rider had managed to take part in FP1 at Phillip Island, but was unable to continue any further sessions that weekend due to his deteriorating condition.

The return of both Mir and Marini provides a welcome boost for Honda HRC Castrol. However, whether both riders will be able to complete the full race weekend schedule will still depend entirely on how their bodies respond once back on board their bikes.

Raul Fernandez Forced Out Of Malaysian Round

A very different fate awaited Raul Fernandez. The SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider has been ruled out of the event, after only managing to complete 5 laps during FP1 for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Fernandez had previously received conditional clearance from medical staff to attempt riding. However pain and limited movement from his injured right hand fingers meant he could not properly control the motorcycle. He pulled out of the session early, and was subsequently declared unfit to continue any activities at Sepang.

Fernandez originally sustained the injury in a Turn 1 crash during the Indonesian Grand Prix sprint race at Mandalika Circuit on Saturday 10 October. He suffered fractures to multiple fingers on his right hand, including the index finger used to operate the front brake.

Despite the injury, he insisted on competing in the main grand prix the following day, and remarkably finished in 2nd place behind Marco Bezzecchi.

This result stands as one of Fernandez's strongest career performances this season. However the decision to race while injured has meant his recovery process has been severely delayed.

His condition worsened further at the Australian Grand Prix, before Fernandez finally withdrew from the event after suffering renewed severe pain in his injured hand.

Fermin Aldeguer Replaced By Iker Lecuona

Gresini Racing will also be without one of their regular riders. Fermin Aldeguer has been ruled out of the Malaysian Grand Prix, as he has still not fully recovered from injuries sustained in the Mandalika crash.

"The Spanish rider will remain sidelined following the accident he suffered at Mandalika Circuit," MotoGP officials confirmed.

Aldeguer suffered a fracture to the base of his first right hand metacarpal bone after crashing during the Indonesian Grand Prix in mid-October. This injury already forced him to miss the entire Australian Grand Prix weekend.

As Aldeguer's replacement, Gresini Racing has called up reigning 2026 WorldSBK champion Iker Lecuona.

The 2026 MotoGP Malaysia round will be held between 30 October and 1 November. The sprint race is scheduled for Saturday 31 October, with the main grand prix taking place on Sunday 1 November.

As the season nears its conclusion, rider fitness has emerged as one of the most critical factors that will determine the final results at Sepang.