Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin is finally back in MotoGP action at the Czech Grand Prix this weekend. It’s his first appearance since round four of the season in Qatar.
Martin has had three serious injuries since he joined Aprilia at the start of 2025, two of them in testing. The most recent, in Lusail, left him in the hospital with 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung.
But when the 27-year-old appeared in a special press conference at Brno on Thursday, his fitness wasn’t the main topic of conversation. He confirmed that he’d be racing for Aprilia in 2026.
This appeared highly unlikely only three weeks ago at Assen when his manager, Albert Valera, said he was a free agent for 2026 after activating a release clause in his contract. But Aprilia have successfully dug in and convinced him to honour his initial two-year deal.
Jorge Martin told his team he ‘almost cried’ in Czech Grand Prix interview
Martin elected not to apologise to Aprilia when given the opportunity, insisting he had no regrets over his manoeuvring in recent months. He did, however, thank the team for improving the bike, having sampled the updated RS-GP25 in a recent test at Misano.
The former Pramac rider is trying to ensure he has a functional working relationship with Aprilia, even if he may have caused lasting damage. He also hopes to win over the fans who criticised him for trying to back out of his commitment.
Martin partly attributed his desire to leave to the psychological burden of being out injured. In a telling insight into his mental struggles, he was clearly emotional when discussing his four-month recovery journey.
Speaking to a member of his team off-camera as he left the stage after nearly 25 minutes, Martin could be heard saying ‘I almost cried’ in Italian. He momentarily had to pause midway through an answer to gather himself.
Fabio Quartararo and Marc Marquez predict how Jorge Martin will fare after injury return
Speaking to DAZN, Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo joked that Martin’s return is ‘not good news’. That’s because he expects a ‘hard time’ from the Spaniard.
Teammate Marco Bezzecchi has scored three podiums in the last four races (including Sprints). He is the lead non-Ducati rider in the world championship.
“Having the number 1 on the court is not good news,” he said. “No, I’m joking, I’m very happy for him, because when you come back from an injury it’s hard, but coming back from three very serious injuries…
“I’m very happy for him and the truth is that he’s going to give us a hard time, I hope not here, but I think that soon he’ll gain a lot of confidence and will be able to go fast.”
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez thinks Martin can compete for wins before the end of the year. Bezzecchi was triumphant at Silverstone, one of only two victories for Ducati’s rivals in 2025.
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