Marco Bezzecchi
The long-standing dispute between Jorge Martin and Aprilia seems to have come to an end as the rider is now set to stay put.
It marks a shocking turn of events as Martin had been pushing to leave Aprilia by activating an exit clause in his contract. It allowed him to part ways with the Noale outfit if he was not in a competitive position in the championship after Le Mans.
But Aprilia have stated the exit clause is invalid due to the 2024 MotoGP champion missing all but one race through injury in 2025. The two parties have since been in dispute over the contract, with the threat of the matter ending up in court.
Aprilia were refusing to discuss a compensation fee with Martin, hoping to prolong the Spaniard’s move to Honda, who are waiting in the wings to strike a deal. However, the matter now seems to be resolved as the 27-year-old is set to stay after all.
Lorenzo Savadori says Martin stopped ‘suffering’ during testing with Aprilia this week. He rode the RS-GP25 for the first time since Qatar in preparation for his return at Brno.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta sealed Jorge Martin’s fate by stating his exit from Aprilia would not be accepted
Martin and Aprilia displayed ‘exquisite’ professionalism during their latest MotoGP test, proving that a working relationship between the two is still possible. Even if the rider was still adamant on leaving, he would not have stood much of a chance.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta immediately opposed Martin’s decision to seek an exit from Aprilia. He had ‘no intention’ of letting Martin leave for Honda when he has a contract until 2026.
In a report from Motorsport Espana, Ezpeleta had said: ‘We will not accept the registration in the World Championship of any rider who is not free, either because of a decision by a judge or because he has reached an agreement with the other party.”
Effectively, Dorna, nor the teams’ association, would accept Martin’s move even if it was approved in a court of law or if a deal had been agreed with Honda due to his Aprilia contract. Ezpeleta ‘endorsed the thesis of Aprilia’ about the exit clause, keeping the Spaniard where he is.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend
What does Jorge Martin’s surrender to Aprilia mean for Honda?
Honda had been preparing a three-year deal for Martin if he found a way out of his Aprilia contract. The Japanese giants will not sign him while he is not a free agent, and they also will not want to be kept waiting for the dispute to be resolved.
With Martin set to stay at Aprilia for one more year, Honda are now left exploring other options on the MotoGP rider market. A move to the manufacturer is still possible for the Spaniard if he assesses the team’s project for 2027, when he will be a free agent.
Martin’s situation will be a boost for Luca Marini, who looked set to lose his factory Honda seat at the end of 2025. The Italian will hope to keep his spot next to Joan Mir, but he will face pressure from Johann Zarco, who has been hugely impressive for LCR this season.
Zarco was set to ‘sacrifice’ a factory Honda seat for Martin and stay at LCR, but he could now put his name back in the conversation for Marini’s seat.
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