Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin is now expected to pull a U-turn and stay at Aprilia for the 2026 MotoGP season after surrendering on his desire to quit the Italian factory and move to Honda.
The reigning premier class champion sent the MotoGP rider market for next term’s grid into overdrive earlier this year when Martin informed Aprilia that he intended to trigger the exit clause in his contract. Yet the Noale outfit always insisted that he would stay there for 2026.
Now, Martin looks certain to stay at Aprilia in 2026 and fulfil the two-year contract that the 27-year-old signed to join the team this term. His U-turn will allow the Spaniard and Aprilia to start rebuilding any bridges with Martin set to return from injury at the Czech Grand Prix.
Pedro Acosta warns Jorge Martin it will be ‘very difficult’ if he’s not ‘happy’ staying at Aprilia
Injuries forcing the Madrid native to sit out five of the six rounds linked to his release clause set on being a title contender after the French Grand Prix formed the basis of Aprilia’s belief that Martin’s release clause is not valid. Yet it did not stop him from looking for a way out.
Despite Aprilia’s unrelenting stance that he would race for them in 2026, Martin agreed to a three-year contract with Honda. But he has now pulled a U-turn and agreed to stay, which is not guaranteed to be the end of their saga as KTM ace Pedro Acosta sees a clear challenge.
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Acosta is convinced that Martin may find it ‘very difficult’ to return from injury and be fast if he is not ‘happy’ to be staying at Aprilia in 2026. It is easy to expect there will be some signs of tension in the garage, and Martin is also returning to action three months after his injury.
“In the end, what a rider needs is to be happy wherever he is,” Acosta said, via quotes by Motorsport.com. “Because this isn’t a sport like football where you injure your foot, come back in three months and nothing happens.
“This is very serious. Wherever a rider is, he has to be happy and content, enjoying what he does. Otherwise, it’s very difficult to be fast and do it well. If Jorge is happy staying at Aprilia, I’m happy for him.”
Why has Jorge Martin decided to stay at Aprilia for the 2026 MotoGP season?
According to reports by Motorsport.com, Martin has now surrendered on his desire to leave Aprilia after accepting that Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta would not recognise a contract that he signed for Honda without the Madrid native and Noale squad reaching a settlement first.
Ezpeleta’s stance reinforced Aprilia’s refusal to release Martin from his contract and boosted the team’s position in any attempts to finalise a settlement. Aprilia also reiterated their wish to retain Martin throughout his injury lay-off and his private test at Misano this Wednesday.
Now, Martin should return from injury at Brno and look to adapt to the RS-GP25, with which Marco Bezzecchi won the British Grand Prix and fought Marc Marquez for glory at the Dutch Grand Prix. But there are no guarantees that Martin will not look for another team for 2027.
What Martin staying at Aprilia does guarantee, though, is that one less seat on the grid is up for grabs for the 2026 MotoGP season. A number of riders had been touted as replacements for the Spaniard, but the likes of KTM Tech3 wantaway Enea Bastianini must look elsewhere.
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