Jorge Martín on the move? MotoGP champion weighs exit from Aprilia amid tensions
- Ramiza Donlic
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Ramiza Donlic, Edited by Kashish Goel
Jorge Martín, the reigning MotoGP world champion, is reportedly considering an early departure from Aprilia, despite being under contract through the 2026 season. This development comes amid a challenging start to the 2025 season and growing tensions between the rider and the Italian manufacturer.
Martín joined Aprilia after securing the 2024 championship with Pramac Ducati, aiming to lead his new team to greater heights. However, his tenure has been marred by injuries and underwhelming performance.
He endured a nightmare start to the season, suffering a nasty crash during pre-season testing in Malaysia, which left him with two fractures. While recovering from the surgery and training on a supermoto bike, the rider suffered yet another hand injury.
After missing the first three rounds, he suffered a severe crash at the Qatar Grand Prix, resulting in multiple fractures that sidelined him for several races. Upon his return, the RS-GP bike failed to demonstrate the competitiveness needed to vie for podiums or victories, leaving Martín dissatisfied.
A performance clause in Martín’s contract is central to the potential split, allowing him to exit if the bike does not meet certain competitive standards. Although the clause was initially set to expire by the French Grand Prix, Martín is willing to extend the evaluation period for a few weeks to allow Aprilia time to improve. Despite this, the team has yet to secure a podium finish this season, fueling Martín’s concerns about the project’s direction.
Martín’s current maneuver to potentially exit Aprilia isn’t without precedent in his career. In 2020, while riding for KTM’s Moto2 team, Martín had a contract that included a performance clause allowing him to leave if KTM didn’t have a rider in the top ten of the MotoGP standings by mid-season.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no races had occurred by that point, technically fulfilling the clause’s conditions. Martín and his management leveraged this loophole to break the contract and sign with Pramac Ducati for the 2021 season.
Aprilia, meanwhile, disputes Martín’s assessment, arguing that he hasn’t had sufficient time on the bike to make a fair judgment. The team reportedly considers legal action to enforce the contract, highlighting the growing rift between the two parties.
The team issued an official statement, stating that the contract between both parties is valid and in effect, and as such, must be respected until its expiration at the end of 2026.
Further, they write: “Aprilia Racing denies that any negotiations have taken place between the parties to modify the duration of the contract, which remains as originally agreed upon. The team has no comment on matters that do not directly concern it, but expects other teams to refrain from making any kind of offer to riders who are under contract. Such behaviour would, in any case, not be legitimate.”
Should Martín decide to leave, several avenues remain open for the reigning champion. One possibility is a move to Honda, a manufacturer eager to rejuvenate its MotoGP program. Reports indicate that Martín has already initiated contact with Honda, signalling mutual interest in a potential collaboration.
Another option lies with Yamaha’s satellite team, Pramac Racing, which is set to transition from Ducati machinery to factory-spec Yamaha bikes starting in 2025. However, Martín has previously expressed a strong preference for factory team positions, making a satellite team less appealing unless it offers competitive machinery and support.
A return to Ducati appears unlikely, given the strained relationship stemming from the manufacturer’s decision to favour Marc Márquez for the factory team seat. As Martín evaluates his options, his next move will undoubtedly influence the dynamics of the MotoGP grid for the upcoming seasons.
