Massimo Rivola remembers his instant reaction when Ducati let Jorge Martin slip through their fingers

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Aprilia expected 2025 to be the launch of the Jorge Martin era, but it has instead been a season dominated by injury. The rider who entered the year as the world champion has only taken part in seven out of 20 weekends.

Injured on four separate occasions already, Martin is out for the Portuguese Grand Prix and a doubt for the season finale in Valencia. This lack of mileage could severely affect his 2026 title chances, even though Aprilia may have a bike worthy of contending.

During the most serious lay-off – after he punctured a lung and broke 11 ribs in Qatar – Martin decided he wanted to leave Aprilia. This sparked an extraordinary stand-off as he tried to break free from his contract.

Martin wanted to join Honda, but Aprilia won the support of Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, who suggested that he wouldn’t be allowed to race in the championship without a valid contract. A legal battle was averted as he agreed to stay put.

Massimo Rivola ‘couldn’t believe’ Aprilia got Jorge Martin

Speaking on the Pit Talk podcast, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola reflected on his move for Martin in June last year. Ducati effectively let him go after favouring Marc Marquez for a factory seat.

Having been told he’d lose his seat, Enea Bastianini was surprised to see Ducati sign Marquez over then-title contender Martin. The gamble has, of course, paid off in historic fashion.

Still, Rivola ‘couldn’t believe’ that Aprilia, the smallest manufacturer in MotoGP, were able to acquire a rider of his calibre.

“We made a big effort to have him,” he said. “We chose Jorge because we had the opportunity. When we were at Mugello last year, I couldn’t believe that we signed Jorge. I was super happy and I was convinced that he would become the number one on the grid.”

Rivola originally expected Marco Bezzecchi to learn from Martin. As it turns out, the Italian, who currently sits third in the standings with four wins and 11 podiums (including Sprints), will set the benchmark next year.

“When you have someone like that and you have another super-fast rider, I was sure that [Bezzecchi] would learn,” he said.

“Now we find ourselves in the opposite conditions with the super-fast rider being the leader, and a champion that needs to learn from the current rider. I’m sure that the champion will have to beat him.

“We’re hopefully going to have a more relaxing season, but also a difficult season to manage two riders that want to win. That is the target.”

Jorge Martin considered leaving Aprilia because ‘he’s always overthinking’

Turning to the Martin contract saga, Rivola expressed sympathy for Martin. He was violently thrown from the RSGP-25 on the first day of testing, and then feared for his life after the Qatar accident.

Martin, who has a ‘super active’ mind, clearly felt at that point that he’d made a serious mistake with his choice of team. Honda offered to double Martin’s salary as they sensed an opportunity.

Rivola can ‘totally understand’ his thought process, and says it was simply a matter of rebuilding the Spaniard’s ‘confidence’ in the Noale team.

“I really understand what happened in his mind,” he said. “If you get to know him a bit more deeply, you understand that he’s super active. The way he’s thinking is super fast. He’s always overthinking what to do.

“[He needs to] stay calm, relax sometimes. I can imagine a guy like that, stopped on a hospital bed thinking, ‘What’s my future going to be? Maybe this bike is not for me.’

“He started losing the trust and confidence in himself, in the bike, in the team. Obviously, then, at the same time, he got an opportunity from a bigger manufacturer with a big offer.

“It’s fine, I totally understand. I put myself in his shoes, and I was wondering if I would have done the same.”

Reports suggest Honda are still interested in Martin for 2027, so Aprilia will need to deliver on the promise they’ve shown this season to convince him to extend his contract.