Jorge Martin names the MotoGP rider that ‘surprised’ him by winning races in 2025

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Jorge Martin would have been looking to get some wins on the board with Aprilia in 2025, but an injury-ravaged season put a stop to that ambition.

Defecting from Ducati to the Noale outfit over the winter, the Spaniard took part in only eight race weekends across the season. Several crashes and serious injuries left Martin with the worst MotoGP title defence in history, as his former manufacturer dominated the season.

Ducati won 17 out of 22 races in 2025, with Marc Marquez winning 11 of them. The Ant of Cervera had his seventh MotoGP title wrapped up at Motegi and missed the final four races after a shoulder injury in Indonesia.

Brother Alex Marquez enjoyed his best season to date as he won three races and finished P2 in the standings. Francesco Bagnaia claimed two wins after struggling immensely on the GP25, while Fermin Aldeguer secured his maiden MotoGP win at Mandalika.

Honda claimed their first win since 2023 at Le Mans as Johann Zarco won his home race in the rain. The other four Grand Prix were won by Aprilia, which came as a surprise to Martin as he sat on the sidelines.

Jorge Martin was ‘surprised’ by Marco Bezzecchi winning races with Aprilia in 2025

In the 27-year-old’s absence, the responsibility at Aprilia was placed on his teammate Marco Bezzecchi. He was tasked with leading the manufacturer forward alongside test rider Lorenzo Savadori, and the Italian began to make serious progress.

Claiming a win at Silverstone, he was beginning to score regular podiums in the second half of the season. Following Marquez’s injury, Bezzecchi was arguably the strongest competitor on the track, winning the last two races and finishing P3 in the standings.

Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez secured Aprilia’s fourth win of 2025 at Phillip Island, but it was Bezzecchi who left Martin ‘surprised’ that he was winning races with the RS-GP. Asked by GPOne who his surprise rider of 2025 was, he replied: “Marco, Marco surprised me. He surprised me, honestly.

“I know, and in the end, I fought with him in Moto3, we fought for a title, then Moto2, then even MotoGP, 2023, we fought for a while for the championship. And seeing him now getting used to winning races in Aprilia really surprised me.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend

Jorge Martin ‘didn’t expect’ Aprilia to improve in 2025

Martin added that he did not expect Aprilia to find the improvements they did in 2025. They arguably had the fastest bike on the grid come the end of the season.

“The truth is, no, I didn’t expect it,” he said. “I knew that it was definitely a project looking ahead to 2026, but in 2025 I was already expecting immediate victories and lots and lots of podiums.

“The truth is that it’s incredible. Anyway, it means that my choice last year, when everything happened, was the right one.”

Martin had tried to break his contract and move to Honda in 2026, but his attempts were blocked by Dorna. With the relationship now rebuilt, the Spaniard will be targeting a strong season on the RS-GP, provided he can stay injury-free.