Jorge Martín will miss the MotoGP Thai GP after suffering an injury earlier this week and undergoing surgery yesterday. This marks a historic moment, as he becomes the first reigning champion to miss a season opener in nearly half a century.
The last time this happened was in 1979, when Kenny Roberts, the defending 500cc champion, was forced to skip the opening Grand Prix in Venezuela due to injuries sustained in training. Despite missing the first race, Roberts still managed to win the championship that year.
🗣️ "Of course, the circumstances were very different – not only was it a different era of the World Championship, but Roberts also had the stability of continuing with the same team and bike. Martín, on the other hand, is adapting to Aprilia after moving from Prima Pramac and Ducati."
Before Martín and Roberts, only one other reigning champion had ever missed a season opener: Geoff Duke in 1956, who sat out the first three rounds.
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