Jorge Martin has confirmed that he will race for Aprilia at the 2025 MotoGP season finale at Valencia this weekend.
The 2024 champion has been recovering on the sidelines following a crash at Mandalika. Now, Martin will make his return to the grid for the last race of the season, before conducting the post-season test at Valencia ahead of 2026.
It has been a torrid title defence for Martin in 2025. The No.1 plate has only been seen in action at seven Grand Prix weekends, as he has been ravaged by injury.
The 27-year-old crashed during testing at Sepang, before a motocross accident ruled him out for the first three races. Martin crashed with Fabio Di Giannantonio on his return in Qatar, leaving him with 11 broken ribs and a pneumothorax.
After Martin attempted to break his Aprilia contract while recovering from injury, he returned to MotoGP at Brno. The Spaniard was making steady progress on the RS-GP25 until Martin collided with teammate Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia, leaving him on the sidelines for the third time in 2025.
MotoGP fans tell Jorge Martin to ‘call it a season’ and return in 2026 after confirming Valencia return
After missing races at Phillip Island, Sepang and Portimao, the No.1 rider will finish the 2025 season at Valencia, with Maverick Vinales also returning from injury with KTM Tech3. But MotoGP fans are worried that the Aprilia rider could cause further damage.
Reacting to the news on Instagram, fans want to see Martin copy Marc Marquez and spend the rest of the year returning to full fitness before coming back in 2026. The Ducati rider hopes to return during testing in Sepang after fracturing his collarbone in Mandalika.
“I love Jorge but honestly feel like he should just focus on 26′ now,” said one user. “Why not just keep resting at this point.. honestly,” wrote another.
One fan warned him of another crash: “Seriously? Another touch, he will be at rest for the whole of the 2026 season.” Another echoed: “If crash again, the recovery time is until April 2026.”
“Why? Year is gone … get healthy,” demanded one fan. Finally, another told Martin to look at Marquez for inspiration: “Take a leaf out of Marc’s book and call it a season and worry about next year before you do more damage.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend
Could Jorge Martin be a title contender in 2026?
Martin’s return in Valencia is certainly admirable, given the amount of time he has spent out injured this season. He is determined to end 2025 on a high note and have a positive test before looking ahead to 2026.
In his absence, Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi have been making huge progress with the RS-GP25. The manufacturer has won three races this season – two from the Italian and one from Raul Fernandez – with many believing the bike may be the fastest at certain tracks.
With this progression, Massimo Rivola backs Martin and Bezzecchi to be title contenders in 2026. Aprilia have certainly taken the fight to Ducati in recent months and could look to dethrone their long-standing dominance in MotoGP.
However, Martin’s title chances will solely depend on whether he can keep himself fit next year. Another injury in Valencia could set him back months, or even the entire 2026 campaign if he is not cautious.
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