Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin has only competed in one round of the 2025 MotoGP season yet amid an injury-hit year, but he has activated the exit clause in his contract with Aprilia already.
The 27-year-old made his sole appearance for the Noale crew so far at the Qatar Grand Prix in April. Yet Martin sustained 11 broken ribs and a pneumothorax in his lung after crashing at Lusail, where the Spaniard returned to action following the complex fractures in his left hand.
Martin was supposed to become the new team leader at Aprilia this term after replacing his close friend Aleix Espargaro in their rider line-up. He agreed to sign for the Italian factory on a two-year deal after Ducati overlooked Martin to get Marc Marquez in their factory line-up.
But the crew’s coup to sign the would-be 2024 riders’ champion has turned into a nightmare already. Martin told Aprilia he wants to leave the team at Le Mans on Friday as he could void his contract for 2026 if the Madrid native was not a title hopeful after the French Grand Prix.
Jorge Martin used his exit clause as he’s ‘afraid’ Aprilia’s bike is not what they promised
Now, Gazzetta dello Sport has shone a light on why Martin has told Aprilia of his decision to trigger the exit clause in his contract, despite only contesting one race for the team. It is said that he wants to leave the Noale factory already after watching their troubles in his absence.
Martin has constantly monitored Aprilia’s performances whilst on the sidelines owing to both his pre-season hand injury and his crash in Qatar. And ‘sources’ close to Martin now think he is ‘afraid’ that Aprilia’s bike is not what they promised him during their contract negotiations.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend
No rider on an RS-GP25 has so far finished a Grand Prix higher than the P5 that Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura scored on his debut in the Thai Grand Prix. Factory rider Marco Bezzecchi is also yet to finish higher than his P6 in Thailand and in America since joining Aprilia this term.
So, Martin has become convinced that the RS-GP25 is not at the technical level that Aprilia’s engineers sold him on before signing with the Noale factory last June. Figures in the MotoGP paddock also feel the RS-GP25 is cantankerous and hard to set up after seeing it in action.
Jorge Martin will continue to monitor Aprilia’s progress as Honda prepare an offer
The MotoGP rider market is now in overdrive as teams consider signing Martin, while Aprilia explore potential replacements in case they cannot hold the Spaniard to his contract for the 2026 MotoGP season. Aprilia are loath to lose a star rider when he has only done one round.
A sign of respect may also help to turn their situation around, as Martin has given Aprilia six more races to show an improvement. While the 27-year-old is unlikely to return from injury before the German Grand Prix in July, he will continue to track the RS-GP25’s performances.
Yet if Ogura and Bezzecchi fail to improve on their 10th and 12th places in the championship standings with 43 and 38 points so far, then rivals may swoop soon. Honda are working hard to put a deal together to sign Martin, who knows they can pay him much more than Aprilia.
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