Marco Bezzecchi
There was little news regarding Jorge Martin’s predicament at the British Grand Prix as Aprilia won their first race of 2025.
News about the reigning champion’s possible future broke just days after the French Grand Prix, with Italian media reporting that he could be set to leave Aprilia this season.
The most shocking part of the news was that it arrived before Martin even completed a race for the Italian manufacturer.
There is still time left in the MotoGP season, with 15 more races to go, but a decision will have to be made soon in case both sides decide to move on and need to find alternative options.
A chaotic British Grand Prix saw Marco Bezzecchi claim his first victory for two years, leading to an Aprilia chief sending a message to Martin about their performance.
It may be too late for the Spaniard to fix his relationship with his current team, though, which shouldn’t matter too much if Honda’s priority is to sign Martin.
Aleix Espargaro says everyone in ‘paddock’ knows that Aprilia’s MotoGP bike is not bad
Aprilia have a legal ‘problem’ with Martin’s replacement because they’re not allowed to sign anyone else until their current rider’s contract situation has been resolved.
Fortunately, it’s kicking off early enough in the season that they have plenty of time to assess their options for 2026.
Then, they can decide who to move forward with and how much it might cost them if they’re not a pending free agent over the winter.
Speaking to Motorsport Italia after the race in Silverstone, ex-Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro spoke well of their bike, especially after hearing what Bezzecchi had to say about it.
“Yes, but it was already known,” he said. “No one in the paddock who knows about motorcycles thinks that the Aprilia is a bad bike. Everyone knows that it is a very competitive bike.”
READ MORE: Honda have already decided what they’ll do with Johann Zarco if Jorge Martin joins from Aprilia
Why did Aprilia perform so well at the British Grand Prix?
It may have been no coincidence that Aprilia were strong in the cold and blustery conditions of Northamptonshire all weekend.
With some more luck, they would have won the sprint on Saturday, too, they had that much pace in their back pocket.
It was the case in 2023 when Espargaro himself won there too, and the unusual characteristics of the circuit appear to suit their bike.
With a lap time over two minutes, they seem to have mastered the track better than anyone else. It’s a shame because it’s unlikely that they are able to enjoy a similar advantage anywhere else.
Aprilia have told Martin to work on their bike when he returns from injury, and that might be the catalyst required for more success in the future.
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