Marco Bezzecchi
Aprilia were dealt the biggest blow of any team during MotoGP’s Sepang test as Jorge Martin suffered multiple fractures on day one.
The Spaniard suffered two highsides off-throttle during his first official test for Aprilia after winning a maiden title with Pramac in 2024.
Martin underwent surgery and now faces a tough journey to recover in time to compete in the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix.
Defending his MotoGP riders’ championship was already going to be a very stiff challenge, but losing three days of track time was a disaster in their preparation for the new season.
Aprilia sent Martin to hospital after gestures of pain following his heavy hit, and it soon became clear how hurt he was following his accident.
If there’s a slight positive to the situation, it’s that Martin may have a ‘get out of jail free card’ at Aprilia if it takes some time to get up to speed.
Paolo Biasio surprised by ‘precise’ feedback similarities between Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi
Aprilia has an all-new rider pairing for 2025 after acquiring the reigning champion and Marco Bezzecchi for their operation.
Martin may have been ‘paid extra’ by Aprilia to run the number one on his bike in 2025 as showing off the credentials brings a marketing boost to the team.
Although he hasn’t had much time on the bike yet, it turns out that he and his new teammate Bezzecchi share something in common after the Sepang test.
READ MORE: What Aprilia chief Massimo Rivola has ‘got to be’ thinking about Raul Fernandez after Sepang crash
Paolo Biasio reports that Aprilia’s riders both gave the same feedback on their new bike and have advised the team on where to improve.
“Yes, they made the same comments both as merits and as possible areas where it is possible to improve, so they gave us a very precise indication,” he said.
“In fact, we arrived here with a test program parallel to the normal development of activities focused on some particular aspects. We can say that our goal will be to improve corner exit, the acceleration of corner exit.”
How Aprilia staff feel about Jorge Martin’s Sepang crash
Martin’s second highside of the morning was a warning to his team and himself that they should have been more cautious in their early moments.
With little preparation left before the new season starts, ‘every single ounce’ of Aprilia staff’s optimism has been drained by the early accident.
With Yamaha having made an impressive jump over the winter, Aprilia now faces a steep hill to climb if they want to be competitive in the early stages of 2025.
READ MORE: What Michelin manager noticed in Jorge Martin’s Aprilia data before MotoGP testing crash
Ducati appear to be just as dominant as they were during the 2024 campaign and will have their eyes set on winning every race this year.
After claiming 36/40 of the races on offer last year, there’s every opportunity for them to improve upon that record with Marquez on the factory bike.
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