Suzi Perry noticed Jorge Martin do something highly unusual at Aprilia event, ‘I’ve never seen a rider…’

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Jorge Martin’s injury absence continues at the Grand Prix of Aragon this weekend. He should at least be back in action by the time the sport returns to Spain in September.

Martin has only featured in one of the first seven rounds. He missed the first three due to injuries sustained in a supermoto crash on the eve of the new season.

He thought his title defence would finally begin in Qatar, but he then suffered an even more serious accident. Martin faced a prolonged stay in hospital with 11 fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

While he’s now resumed training, Martin is unlikely to return for the German Grand Prix, which was his initial target. He could be back in Brno just before the summer break.

Martin did appear at the Aprilia All-Stars event in Misano last weekend, though. And TNT Sports presenter Suzi Perry noticed something intriguing about his attire.

Suzi Perry says Jorge Martin’s ‘unbranded clothing’ has got ‘tongues wagging’

Martin unexpectedly rode an Aprilia motorcycle at the San Marino Grand Prix circuit. But he wasn’t wearing team clothing like his colleagues.

And according to paddock veteran Perry, this is highly unusual. She’s ‘never seen’ a rider appear at an official event without donning merchandise.

This has got ‘tongues wagging’ in the paddock. One could interpret it as a sign of a rift between Martin and his new team.

The 27-year-old, of course, triggered a controversial exit clause in his contract recently. He says it allows him to leave a year before the end of his contract because of his lowly championship position.

“He’s been at the Aprilia All-Stars weekend in unbranded clothing,” Perry noted. “They said, ‘Oh, it was because he was never going to ride’.

“But I’ve never seen a rider in unbranded clothing ever at a race weekend or at an event. It starts the tongues wagging.”

Aprilia are trying to tug on Jorge Martin’s heartstrings and newspaper adverts prove it

Martin is open to renegotiating his Aprilia contract, effectively moving the goalposts of his performance clause. But his camp say that Massimo Rivola won’t come to the table.

For now, Aprilia’s priority is to convince the 2024 world champion to perform a u-turn. They still haven’t given up hope despite his public announcement.

Aprilia took out adverts in the Spanish press to celebrate Martin’s appearance at Misano. They’re trying to ‘pamper’ him and re-establish the bond that both parties spoke of in the winter.

Aiding their efforts to tug on his heartstrings, Aprilia fans chanted ‘stay, stay’ at Martin. They haven’t turned against him despite his divisive conduct.