Marco Bezzecchi
Neil Hodgson believes Jorge Martin has reverted to the “strange” habits he showed in 2025, after the Aprilia rider had three unusual crashes at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.
Martin endured a year from hell in his first season as an Aprilia rider in 2025, but he had left a positive impression on Hodgson over the first three rounds of the 2026 campaign. The 28-year-old also arrived at Jerez sitting second in the riders’ standings before the Spanish GP.
Only factory Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi scored more points than Martin took across the opening three rounds of 2026 in Thailand, Brazil and America. Martin won the Sprint at COTA, as well, for his first victory of any kind since the 2024 champion joined Aprilia in 2025.
Martin had also failed to secure a Grand Prix podium with Aprilia during his nightmare year with injuries in 2025, but finished P2 in Brazil and America this year. The Spaniard only took part in seven of the eight Grands Prix he entered last year due to his spate of major injuries.
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Jorge Martin stumps Neil Hodgson with his multiple crashes at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix
Martin’s first season with Aprilia in 2025 was marred by his crashes at the Sepang test, while training on a supermoto bike, in the Qatar Grand Prix and in the Sprint Race at the Japanese Grand Prix. He fractured his right hand, left foot, left hand, 11 ribs and his collarbone, along with sustaining a hemopneumothorax that left the Madrid native fearing for his life in Lusail.
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But Martin “surprised” Hodgson with his early form in 2026, only for his “strange” habits to return at this weekend’s Spanish GP. Hodgson thinks Martin has regressed at Jerez after he crashed on an out lap in FP1, in practice before running across the circuit and in qualifying.
Hodgson said on TNT Sports 2 (25/04, 10:49): “It’s a strange one, because he’s had such a strong start to the season – surprised us all. And then he’s gone back to the Jorge Martin of last year, where it’s all a bit strange, like, say, three crashes.
“One of the crashes was on an out lap when he was going for the practice start yesterday morning. We’ve had him running across the track. He’s been slowing the riders down. It’s been a really messy 24 hours for him, don’t you think?”
Jorge Martin gets a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix – Can he still get a podium at Jerez?
Martin crashed on his way to do a practice start in FP1 at Jerez on Friday, as he lost the front end of his Aprilia RS-GP through Turn 3. The Aprilia rider’s Friday even featured another fall when Martin crashed at the final corner in practice at Jerez, before running across the track.
He darted across the circuit to avoid having to take the long way back to the garages and get onto his second bike for the late time attack to secure an automatic Q2 place. And while he would still end Q2 in P7, Martin crashed at Turn 1 in qualifying at Jerez after losing the front.
Martin will only start the Spanish GP from P10 this Sunday, though, as he even drew a three-place grid penalty during practice on Friday afternoon for riding slowly on the racing line. He initially got out of VR46 ace Fabio Di Giannantonio’s way but blocked Gresini’s Alex Marquez.
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