Jorge Martin has new ‘meaning’ for racing in MotoGP after what he ‘just’ heard in the Motegi paddock

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Jorge Martin joined Aprilia for the 2025 MotoGP season as the reigning champion, yet his injury lay-offs often forced the Spaniard to reconsider why he continues to race.

The 27-year-old is enjoying his fifth MotoGP season and 11th world championship campaign in 2025, having first joined the paddock as a Moto3 rider back in 2015. Martin is also a one-time Moto3 champion after taking the 2018 title and boasts 18 wins across all three classes.

Martin climbed up the classes with eight wins from 67 Moto3 races from 2015 to 2018, and two wins from 32 Moto2 races from 2019 to 2020. But Martin is so far yet to add to his eight MotoGP Grand Prix wins since joining Aprilia after the Madrid native’s difficult start to 2025.

Aprilia were without their new star man for the first three rounds of the season after Martin fractured his left hand on a supermoto during pre-season. Martin missed seven races with a hemopneumothorax and 11 broken ribs after a crash during April’s Qatar Grand Prix, as well.

Jorge Martin has found his ‘meaning’ for racing in MotoGP’s Hall of Fame entry requirements

Martin “never” considered retiring from MotoGP during his recovery from injury, but he did question if he would be able to ride a bike again. The thought of never being able to race at the level he achieved again especially played on his mind while in an ICU after the Qatar GP.

READ MORE: Every rider in MotoGP’s Hall of Fame from Valentino Rossi to Jorge Lorenzo

He has also continued to seek the reason for why he continues to race since his return from injury. And Martin believes he may now have found it, having heard at Motegi ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix that you must win at least two MotoGP titles to enter the Hall of Fame.

Martin noted about his desire to become a champion again, via Motorsport.com: “It’s clear that’s why I’m here, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. Besides, just today I heard that you need two world championships to enter the Hall of Fame, so that’s going to be my next goal.

“I’m always trying to find the meaning of why I race, why I want to win again, why I’m taking the risk, and that could be a good meaning, wanting to win again to get in there. But it’s clear that I’m going to give it my all to be able to fight for world championships.”

Jorge Martin’s injury-hit year leaves him 478 points behind champion-elect Marc Marquez

Martin beat factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia by just 10 points to win the 2024 title at the season-finale in Barcelona aboard a satellite Desmosedici GP24 while riding for Pramac. Martin’s consistency won him the 2024 title, despite Bagnaia’s 11 wins from 20 Grands Prix.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2025 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix

Still, despite it making him the first rider to win the title racing with an independent team in the post-500cc era, Martin feels fans undervalue his 2024 MotoGP title. Valentino Rossi was the last rider to win a 500cc title for an independent team in Nastro Azzurro Honda in 2001.

Martin’s injury problems this season have ensured the Spaniard has not been able to defend his title since becoming a factory rider for Aprilia. While Ducati’s Marc Marquez can win the 2025 MotoGP title in the Japanese GP on Sunday, Martin is 478 points behind in 20th place.