Massimo Rivola makes Jorge Martin 2026 MotoGP prediction ahead of his latest return from injury

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Jorge Martin has reached the flag in just four MotoGP races this season and his campaign was written off well in advance of the summer break.

Despite leaving Ducati last year, it appears that the Spaniard might have made his move to Aprilia at the perfect time. They’re in the ascendancy and have been for some time. Teammate Marco Bezzecchi has been in contention for podiums at almost every MotoGP event since May.

Suffering another injury in Japan was another kick in the teeth for Martin, but he is in no rush to return to competitive action. There is no need to risk further injury by forcing a comeback in a season where he has very little left to fight for.

Ducati signed Marc Marquez over Martin for two main reasons, but won’t be bothered about their decision now that their choice has claimed the world title. Ducati could trade Francesco Bagnaia for Martin, according to Carlo Pernat, but that would be an extreme measure.

READ MORE: Davide Tardozzi explains why Ducati made ‘difficult decision’ to sign Marc Marquez over Jorge Martin

Massimo Rivola backs Jorge Martin to compete for the 2026 MotoGP title

Neil Hodgson reckons Martin will want to return to Ducati if he endures a difficult start to 2026, just over 12 months into his tenure with them. If anything, they have displayed more signs of improvement than expected in 2025.

Martin feels that fans undervalue him, despite being the first and only independent champion of the MotoGP era with Pramac in 2024. He’ll be looking to rediscover that sort of form next season and get back to the top with a manufacturer this time.

And current boss Massimo Rivola has backed him to do so, telling GPOne that he thinks both of his riders can compete for the championship.

“This sport is brutal, you can never take anything for granted, and you have to build your performance every single day,” he said. “Just because you’re a champion and have a wealth of talent doesn’t mean you don’t need to do all the steps to get there, and I think Jorge knows that very well.

“From our side, we are trying to make sure that he can make the most of the Sepang tests, because I have no doubt that Jorge will fight for the championship together with Marco next year.”

READ MORE: Jorge Lorenzo has realised Luigi Dall’Igna was right all along about Jorge Martin after what he’s seen in 2025

Will Jorge Martin return before the end of the 2025 MotoGP season?

Martin’s current injury is a fracture to his right collarbone, which only occurred a few weeks ago. While MotoGP riders are freak athletes and can heal quickly, there can be complications.

The Spaniard is the perfect example, really. He took longer than expected to return from a hit sustained at the pre-season test in Malaysia earlier this year.

His body has faced a lot of toil in 2025, and that will be another reason not to usher him back sooner than necessary. Long-term damage could hurt his career prospects and chances of competing in the future.

For now, he has been ruled out of the next race in Malaysia, and it’s unknown whether he will attempt a return in time for the penultimate race in Portugal, or the finale in Valencia.