Massimo Rivola shares what he thinks of Honda after they tried to snatch Jorge Martin from Aprilia

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Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola has shared his thoughts on Honda following their dramatic pursuit of Jorge Martin earlier in the season.

Martin sent the MotoGP rider market into a frenzy after trying to trigger a performance clause in his Aprilia contract after the French Grand Prix in May.

Aprilia felt Martin was in no position to trigger the clause, as he had only competed in one Grand Prix for the team at the time during an injury-ridden start to his tenure at the Italian constructor.

Martin later reaffirmed that he would honour his Aprilia contract ahead of the final MotoGP round before the summer break in Brno.

He isn’t completely back in love with Aprilia just yet. Martin is leaving his options for 2027 open, citing the new regulations of that year as a ‘big opportunity’.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend

Massimo Rivola thought Honda was a ‘strange’ choice for Jorge Martin to open talks with

Speaking in an interview with Marca in the Austrian Grand Prix paddock, Rivola was asked if he would have liked Martin to apologise to him and the team for going rogue regarding his Aprilia contract and exploring other options on the MotoGP grid.

“Jorge’s choice was based on performance, with the premise: if I leave Ducati, who can I beat Ducati with?” Rivola stated, before continuing, “And the only one who’s beaten Ducati in the last two years is Aprilia. So, it was a choice based on performance.

“Thinking about Honda today may seem strange, but, in reality, it’s natural for a rider who spent five or six months in bed, on a sofa, undergoing rehabilitation, suffering. So, perhaps in his mind, he linked certain misfortunes with us, with the bike.

“On the one hand, he could have thought: ‘Oh, maybe Aprilia isn’t the place where I can win.’ It was up to us to convince him that, in fact, this is the place where I can win.

“Honda simply did its job by trying to get one of the strongest riders on the grid, in addition to being the world champion, and that’s it. It’s not a question of apologising.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Aprilia from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Massimo Rivola assures that there are no more ‘secret clauses’ in Jorge Martin’s Aprilia contract

The Aprilia chief was also questioned on whether we should expect further surprises from Martin’s camp, regarding any more clauses in his Aprilia contract, which kick-started the contract saga in the first place.

Rivola answered, “Look, these performance clauses are quite common in the motorsports world, in general. There are other drivers with very similar clauses who are currently racing in Formula 1, for example.

“Even the most famous drivers in the world have clauses like this. It’s quite normal. What’s clear is that performance is based on the fact that one has to be a driver, one has to race, but there are no other secret clauses.”

Neil Hodgson shared a similar sentiment when talking about Alex Rins’ future on the MotoGP grid. The former rider stated that he feels like performance-based clauses are becoming more ‘commonplace’ in the sport now, adding to the uncertainty of riders’ futures in the premier class.