Jorge Martin once revealed the ‘special’ reason why Valentino Rossi is his favourite MotoGP rider

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Jorge Martin still stands a chance of returning to MotoGP at the end of what has been a very troubled campaign in 2025.

Battling through numerous injuries, his title defence and debut season for Aprilia hasn’t gone quite as expected. Fortunately, the signs for the 2026 MotoGP season are positive, and his team’s development of the RS-GP bike has gone well.

Teammate Marco Bezzecchi is a frequent fixture at the front of the pack, winning a race in Silverstone a few months ago. The Italian outfit are really strong on high-speed tracks, and it’s something that Martin will look to exploit next year.

Angel Charte has ‘doubts’ about Martin’s return, and fears whether he may be risking further complications by returning too soon from his Japanese Grand Prix accident. Martin has been tipped to return in Valencia, but he could look to follow Marc Marquez’s example and sit out the rest of 2025.

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Jorge Martin once said his favourite MotoGP rider is Valentino Rossi because he watched him growing up

Martin was ruled out for the Portuguese Grand Prix, and it was always going to be unlikely that he would make a return in Portimao. It was the site of a mega accident during his rookie season in 2021, which saw him sidelined for three races.

He would end up getting his first victory that season, with a win in Austria, and would wind up finishing ninth in the standings on his way to Rookie of the Year honours. He beat Enea Bastianini to the award, who appeared on the podium one less time.

While Martin has been backed for a title charge in 2026, he’ll be wary of returning to action too soon. In 2021, he recovered quickly and made the most of a ‘special’ rookie campaign that afforded him a unique opportunity.

Speaking in 2024, the 27-year-old admitted that getting the chance to race alongside his favourite rider, Valentino Rossi, meant a lot to him, getting to do so during his swansong season in 2021.

“Well, I’ll say Valentino, because his fan since I was really young,” he said. “I get to race with him for his last season. It was special for me. He is still my [favourite].”

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Why 2025 has been Jorge Martin’s worst MotoGP season yet

Neil Hodgson thinks Martin will look to leave Aprilia if they start 2026 poorly, given that he has expectations of fighting for wins and podiums.

It’s exactly why, after missing 14 races through injury in 2025, it’s safe to say that it has yielded his worst-ever returns.

Before this year, he had never missed the podium in a season. His best result this season is fourth, and there’s a small chance that he could come back for the final race and get a trophy, but that feels unlikely.

The most important thing for Martin will be to get ahead in his preparations for 2026. That means ensuring he is fit for the post-season test in Valencia, and being on the same page as his engineers.