Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin is clearly angling for a move to Honda as he tries to escape his Aprilia contract. It would be a risk for the reigning world champion given the brand’s ongoing difficulties.
After Marco Bezzecchi’s P2 at the Dutch GP – Aprilia’s second podium of the season – the Noale outfit have climbed to second in the constructors’. Honda are fourth.
There are only 17 points separating them, with Ducati bikes hoovering up most of the lucrative positions. But Aprilia have been weakened by the absence of Martin and the inconsistency of Trackhouse duo Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura.
The RS-GP25 is a bike with an exciting ceiling. Johann Zarco won the French GP on a Honda, but that was a chaotic race in torrential rain – they’ve only notched two top-10 finishes since.
Martin will bank a significant pay rise if he joins the biggest manufacturer on the grid. He’s betting on those superior resources delivering a more competitive package in the long term.
Honda unhappy at Jorge Martin’s camp pulling them into Aprilia dispute
After a period of relative detente in the Martin/Aprilia contract dispute, the rider’s manager made some incendiary comments at Assen. Albert Valera declared that his client was free to join another team for 2026, expressly mentioning Honda.
The theory is that Martin’s camp are trying to spur Honda into action. Alberto Puig’s team have said they won’t make a formal approach for the 27-year-old until he’s free from his Aprilia deal as a matter of policy.
The come-and-get-me plea at the Dutch GP seems to have backfired. According to GPOne, Honda’s ‘top management’ don’t seem ‘too happy’ that they’ve been pulled ‘into the middle’.
Their preference was to wait for a resolution, and then act on their interest. That could take months, with a court date possible.
Another rider is trying to pull a Jorge Martin – and he could land at Aprilia
While Aprilia have publicly stated that Martin will be riding their bike in 2026, they’ve also been looking at potential replacements. They surely recognise that the partnership is unlikely to survive.
MotoGP legend Jorge Lorenzo has backed Enea Bastianini to thrive at Aprilia. There’s talk that the former Ducati rider is also trying to escape his contract with KTM in the midst of a disappointing season.
Honda know that Martin isn’t guaranteed to be an option. Carmelo Ezpeleta says riders could be excluded from the championship in the event of such contract disputes.
To that end, Honda are also eyeing Diogo Moreira, the Moto2 rider. He would likely join LCR, with Luca Marini and Zarco battling it out for a factory spot.
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