Aprilia may have already found their Jorge Martin replacement by rivalling Pramac Yamaha for 18-podium rider

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Jorge Martin leaving Aprilia for Honda in 2026 was largely unthinkable for the Noale team after signing him for 2025, yet is now possible after he activated an exit clause.

Aprilia capitalised on Ducati snubbing Martin to sign Marc Marquez for their 2025 line-up to get the would-be 2024 MotoGP riders’ champion on a two-year contract at last year’s Italian Grand Prix. But their time together might be over, despite Martin only contesting one round.

The 27-year-old missed the first three rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season after sustaining complex fractures in his left hand in a training crash on a Supermoto. Martin has also missed the past two races after suffering a pneumothorax and 11 broken ribs on his return in Qatar.

Yet Martin has monitored Aprilia’s performances closely during his injury absence and is not confident that the RS-GP25 is as competitive as the Noale crew pledged during his contract negotiations. So, Martin told Aprilia that he is activating an exit clause in his deal at Le Mans.

Aprilia could sign KTM Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini with Jorge Martin exploring leaving for Honda

The Spaniard’s next destination may even be clear as Honda are prepared to double Martin’s Aprilia salary and agree to a contract once he and the Italian crew solve their dispute. Aprilia do not believe Martin’s exit clause is valid, so even rejected his offer to extend it by six races.

Still, the Noale factory are not simply sitting on their hands whilst Martin is exploring leaving Aprilia for potentially Honda next season. Moto.it reports that Aprilia have one replacement for Martin in mind in KTM Tech3 star Enea Bastianini, but he is also liked by Pramac Yamaha.

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

Like Martin, Bastianini only joined Tech3 ahead of the 2025 season after penning a two-year factory contract with KTM. But Aprilia and Pramac are monitoring the 27-year-old as he may also be set to switch teams after struggling to adapt to the KTM RC16 since Ducati axed him.

Joining Aprilia or Pramac would see Bastianini race another new bike for the first time, as he has in 2025 on a KTM at Tech3. But he is on Pramac’s radar as Jack Miller is out of contract for Yamaha, and Miguel Oliveira is also not certain to return despite his works deal for 2026.

Enea Bastianini would gladly leave KTM Tech3 as the 2025 MotoGP rider market hots up

Aprilia likely would never have imagined when they signed Martin ahead of the 2025 season that he would already be exploring leaving potentially for Honda, who came last in the 2024 teams’ championship with 35 points to the 353 the Noale outfit scored to take fourth place.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Enea Bastianini from net worth to career stats

Yet it is a situation they are now in with Honda outscoring Aprilia through the first six rounds of 2025 with 49 and 46 points. LCR also have 72 points through Johann Zarco, who also sits sixth in the riders’ championship as the best non-Ducati after winning the French Grand Prix. Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura is the highest-placed Aprilia rider in 10th place on just 43 points.

Martin had to rank within the top three of the 2025 riders’ standings after the French GP for his exit clause to become invalid. But he is yet to score a single point this term thanks to the Spaniard’s injuries and Martin might not return from injury before July’s German Grand Prix.

So, Aprilia are considering their options to replace Martin including Ogura of Trackhouse and now Bastianini, who ranks 15th in the standings with 31 points. Also, Bastianini would gladly quit KTM Tech3 just six races into a two-year contract after struggling to adapt to the RC16.

Bastianini has not finished a Grand Prix higher than the P9 results he scored in Thailand and Spain since joining KTM Tech3 from Ducati. But the Italian showed his potential whilst riding a Desmosedici with seven Grand Prix wins and 18 podiums after his MotoGP debut in 2021.