Aprilia employee shares the surprising change he’s seen in Jorge Martin since announcing exit plans

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Jorge Martin’s announcement that he intends to leave Aprilia Racing at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season was a shocker, but there’s still hope for the Italian manufacturer.

Martin has admitted that he is prepared to give them six races to prove themselves upon his return to action after a sustained period on the sidelines with an injury. He’s yet to even finish a race for Aprilia after his first appearance ended in disaster at the Grand Prix of Qatar – 11 broken ribs and a pneumothorax.

The MotoGP rider market is intensifying and Martin’s choice of where he may ride in 2026 is only going to get smaller with every day that he waits. There are still 15 MotoGP races to go this season, and a lot of decisions at other teams to be made for the future.

Martin’s first Aprilia appearance was ‘not expected’ after showing his face at their All-Stars event in Misano over the weekend. He couldn’t resist hopping back onto two wheels, riding two bikes on Sunday.

It came just days after Martin felt deceived by Aprilia and a statement they released with the intention of leaving no doubt about their stance on his future. They would like him to remain their rider for 2026, and believe in the potential of their bike.

READ MORE: ‘No part’ of Aprilia has one feeling towards Jorge Martin after Marco Bezzecchi’s Silverstone victory

Jorge Martin shows surprising change in emotion at Aprilia event

Martin’s Aprilia agreement is ‘not common’, and it’s unusual for MotoGP riders to have performance clauses in their contracts. Aprilia’s bike isn’t really bad enough for it to be necessary for there to be an exit clause, but it seems that there is one.

Even after rising tensions over the last few weeks, Massimo Rivola issued a surprise defence of Martin and his situation as he battles to recover from his third accident of the year. He hasn’t had an easy time of it since leaving Pramac last winter.

Aprilia’s global brand ambassador, Max Biaggi, revealed a change in Martin’s demeanour after arriving in the garage at Misano for the All-Stars event, alongside teammates Marco Bezzecchi and Lorenzo Savadori.

“What we all saw was a bit of an in-house triumph when Jorge was introduced to the public, which maybe already diluted some of the tensions that have been there in recent weeks,” he told GPOne.

“I also saw a smiling, relaxed Martin. I would use one phrase: I reckon the last word has yet to be said on the matter, you never know. I still want to hope that nothing changes, but maybe I’m all sentimental and I’m wrong, but why not.”

READ MORE: Aleix Espargaro shares what everyone in the ‘paddock’ is now saying about Aprilia’s bikes as Jorge Martin considers exit

Why Aprilia’s MotoGP operation is in a far better place after the British Grand Prix

Fortunately for Aprilia, winning the British Grand Prix courtesy of Bezzecchi couldn’t have come at a much better time for them.

They were fifth in the constructors’ championship and desperate for a good result, following a very tricky start to the season. Two of their four riders have gone down injured.

Bezzecchi has left Rivola with ‘no doubts’ and is starting to show real promise that he can deliver and lead their operation as the number one rider.

That’s until Martin returns, at least, when he will then be expected to take back some of that workload and continue to push their development in a positive direction.