Jorge Martin could have a very different bike on his MotoGP return as Aprilia study their ‘one shot’ to get it right

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Aprilia are enduring far from the season the team expected when Jorge Martin arrived after winning the MotoGP title and could face a lengthy wait for his return from injury.

The Spaniard made history as the first rider to win a world championship in the MotoGP era with an independent team last season when Martin and Pramac denied factory Ducati rider, Francesco Bagnaia. But the 27-year-old has only entered one round of the 2025 campaign.

Marco Bezzecchi and test rider Lorenzo Savadori have struggled to carry the flag in Martin’s absence, too. Aprilia are 10th in the teams’ standings and only above Pramac after the first five rounds with a mere 37 points compared to the 259 that Ducati in first place have taken.

Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura is even the highest-ranked Aprilia in the riders’ championship in eighth ahead of Bezzecchi in ninth with 37 and 36 points. And the Noale factory now believe that one thing that is ‘needed’ to improve the RS-GP25 was once a major strength of Aprilia.

Aprilia have ‘one shot’ to fix their 2025 MotoGP bike’s stability problems with an aero upgrade

That is according to The Race, which reports that Aprilia believe they need to introduce new aerodynamic upgrades to get the RS-GP25 up to spec. The Italian crew have lost their once-strong stability, as their 2025 bike struggles on turn-in, braking, acceleration and corner exit.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Aprilia from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

But Aprilia only have ‘one shot’ at getting any new aero package right owing to the MotoGP homologation rules. So, they are now studying the data the team gathered during the Jerez test on Monday after testing parts they hope can take the RS-GP25 into a competitive state.

Aprilia also tested a new carbon swingarm during the Jerez test, which could help the Noale factory fix their stability problems and also avoid wasting their one shot at an aero upgrade. It is also possible that Aprilia fix the stability problems before Martin returns from his injury.

Jorge Martin could have a very different Aprilia RS-GP25 on his return from injury

Martin is facing at least two to three months on the sidelines after sustaining another injury in his stuttered start to his life as an Aprilia rider. The reigning MotoGP champion suffered a pneumothorax and fractured 11 ribs during his return from injury at the Grand Prix of Qatar.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend

He was also not allowed to fly home from Doha for two weeks until his collapsed lung was in a strong enough condition to endure the flight the Madrid native finally took last Saturday. It is now a matter of recovering and Aleix Espargaro feels Martin faces a ‘difficult’ mental blow.

Martin was accidentally hit by Fabio Di Giannantonio in the Qatar GP when the Aprilia rider fell on Lap 14/22 as the VR46 ace could not take avoiding action. It was a cruel blow on the Spaniard’s return after Martin sustained complex fractures to his left hand in pre-season.