Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin will be staying at Aprilia for the 2026 MotoGP season after all, it emerged on Friday. The news concludes a tumultuous couple of months for the world champion.
Martin attempted to activate a release clause in his Aprilia contract after just one appearance for the Noale outfit. The injury-ravaged rider finds himself bottom of the standings, which means he hasn’t met the terms of a performance clause.
#But Aprilia were adamant a judge would rule in their favour if the dispute went to the Italian courts. Settlement negotiations went nowhere, and Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta threatened to block Martin from riding for another team until the matter was resolved.
While not officially confirmed by either party, it’s now widely reported that Martin is ‘certain’ to see out his Aprilia deal. While he may still end up on a Honda for 2027, it looks like Massimo Rivola’s side have won the battle.
Marc Marquez says Jorge Martin has made the ‘most sensible’ decision
MotoGP superstar Marc Marquez was inevitably asked for his take on the news in his Friday media debrief. He described it as the ‘most sensible’ course of action.
Marquez broke his Honda contract in the 2023 season, having reached an agreement with the team. But he’d already given them more than a decade of service by that point.
He momentarily sounded as if he was about to criticise Martin, who was ready to ‘abandon a project’ almost immediately, but he stopped himself. The former Pramac rider is expected to return to action at the Czech Grand Prix next weekend.
“I think it’s the most sensible and best thing for him if that’s the case,” Marquez told AS. “Then I don’t know what will happen until the official source or the protagonist makes a statement.
“From a sporting perspective, I think it’s the best thing because it’s very difficult for me to put myself in his position, and there will surely be details we don’t know, but abandoning a project without knowing what you’re capable of doing with that project…
“First, I wish him a speedy recovery, as it already seems he’ll be back in Brno, and then he can decide what’s best for him.”
Was this the moment that everything changed for Jorge Martin and Aprilia?
There were some indications earlier this week that Martin’s 2026 plans were changing. He’d finally got back on a MotoGP bike at Misano on Wednesday.
That test was possible thanks to Aprilia, who pushed for a rule change allowing riders who had missed more than three races to gauge their readiness.
Lorenzo Savadori, who’s replaced him on the RS-GP25, says Martin sounded much more positive after those laps. He may have been impressed by Aprilia’s developments, with teammate Marco Bezzecchi climbing to sixth in the championship during his absence.
Honda have largely struggled since Johann Zarco’s French GP win. The factory team are currently second from bottom in the standings with only 70 points.
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