Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin is set to miss his 14th race of the MotoGP season next week when the championship heads to the Algarve for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
It’s hardly surprising, considering the monster shunt that he had there back in 2021. It left Martin with multiple broken ribs and a badly broken collarbone. He even found himself questioning whether he would be the same MotoGP rider afterwards.
Fast-forward to this year, and he has been plagued by multiple shunts. The first of which, he suffered at pre-season testing. From there, his debut campaign with Aprilia has failed to recover and has been a bit of a write-off.
MotoGP fans have told Martin the same thing and believe that he should focus on 2026, copying Marc Marquez’s approach to the rest of 2025. Massimo Rivola thinks Martin is a title contender, but missing the post-season test in Valencia won’t be doing his chances any favours.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez must thank Jorge Martin for vital MotoGP rule change after season-ending injury
Jorge Martin’s Aprilia MotoGP return is more ‘certain’ for Valencia
Honda are plotting to sign Martin as part of an all-new crew for the new regulations in 2027, which would be a dramatic change from what they have now. After being displeased with his predicament earlier in the season, the Spaniard’s mood had changed by the summer break.
Perhaps it was his team’s improvements calming him down, as he sought a way out of his current contract. All sides standing firm was a good result in the end, and it looks as though they will be able to challenge Ducati in 2026, but they still need their riders to perform well.
Jorge Lorenzo has seen a change in Martin and Aprilia, and believes that their relationship has improved a great deal since their contract dispute. Perhaps that would have been a different tale if the 2024 champion hadn’t missed so many events in 2024.
Spanish Journalist Mela Chercoles now reports that he expects Valencia to be the more ‘certain’ return date for Martin, speaking before he was ruled out of the Portuguese Grand Prix.
“Let’s see if Jorge Martin can also be there, although it’s more complicated,” he said. “He’s a doubt for Portimao [now ruled out], and his presence in Valencia is more certain.”
READ MORE: Davide Tardozzi explains why Ducati made ‘difficult decision’ to sign Marc Marquez over Jorge Martin
Why Aprilia are the favourite to challenge Ducati in 2026
Looking back on 2025, it’s safe to say that Aprilia’s development has helped to transform them from being the third to the second-best manufacturer on the grid.
KTM have fallen back a bit, and Pedro Acosta’s heroics may be deceptive, but their bike isn’t as strong as it once was compared to the competition.
Marco Bezzecchi has led the development of the RS-GP bike well, and if Martin can be around for the post-season test at the very least, his feedback will be vital in shaping the direction they take for 2026.
With Ducati a bit stuck, particularly with Marc Marquez sidelined, there’s an opportunity for Aprilia to seize the initiative and become a true contender for a title next year. It could be their time.
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