Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin will experience two things for the first time in his MotoGP career during 2025, having joined Aprilia after winning the 2024 riders’ championship with Pramac.
The Spaniard secured his switch to the Noale, Italy-based squad in June on a multi-year deal as Aprilia sought to replace the retiring Aleix Espargaro with his close friend, Martin. The 26-year-old’s move further sealed him factory rider status for the first time in the premier class.
Martin jumped at his chance to sign with Aprilia after learning that Ducati were to move six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez from Gresini to join Francesco Bagnaia. The Bologna Bullets’ second bike was supposed to be Martin’s until Marquez rejected a switch to Pramac.
Pramac director Fonsi Nieto admits Jorge Martin’s Aprilia move was the ‘fairest thing’
Ducati’s U-turn on signing Martin to replace Enea Bastianini will now see him race an Aprilia bike for the first time in 2025. It would also see the No1 plate leave the Borgo Panigale team as Martin beat two-time reigning champion Bagnaia for the 2024 MotoGP world riders’ title.
Pramac rider performance director Fonsi Nieto has no ill feelings towards Martin for electing to leave the Tuscany squad for Aprilia. Instead, he feels the Spaniard leaving to join a factory MotoGP team was the ‘fairest thing’ for Martin after winning the title with a satellite Ducati.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend
Nieto hails the effort that Martin and Pramac put into winning the 2024 championship, thus becoming the first rider to win the championship with an independent team in the MotoGP era. So, he deserved the chance to be a factory rider as Pramac also switch to Yamaha bikes.
“Beating a monster like Ducati in this way has been spectacular,” Nieto told Europa Press. “It is more of a feat to have achieved it as a satellite team. At Ducati, they are the direct factory, there are many people working. But we have been better.
“We have worked very closely believing that we could win the world championship from the winter training sessions, and having made a very familiar, very united team has given us that extra. Jorge deserved it, and so did the team.
“I think Jorge leaving the team this way was the fairest thing. He was close to winning it last year. We worked really hard, he worked hard towards this and it was an extra motivation, ‘If Jorge leaves, we can’t lose this world championship. This world championship has to stay’.”
Jorge Martin left Pramac at the absolute peak of what they could achieve together
Pramac would sign an unprecedented seven-year deal with Yamaha in June 2024 to become a de-facto second factory team for the Japanese brand as they return to having four bikes in the field in 2025. Pramac left the Ducati ranks after feeling they were looking to favour VR46.
The 2025 season will thus be an era of new beginnings as Pramac become more than only a satellite Ducati squad and Martin starts his new life as a factory Aprilia rider. Parting right on the back of winning the riders’ championship was also a strong parting gift for both parties.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pramac from the MotoGP team’s riders to bike
In an alternative world, Martin may have remained at Pramac and potentially remained on a satellite Ducati in 2025 and fought Bagnaia plus Marquez for the championship. But it would not have led to the Spaniard being a factory MotoGP rider until the 2027 season at the least.
Instead, Martin and Pramac parted ways at the absolute peak of what they could achieve as a partnership. Even had he stayed to join Pramac’s rider line-up as the second Yamaha team instead of either of Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira, Yamaha do not have a title-winning bike.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
