From ordeal to the podium, Jorge Martin in tears: now he must be reckoned with, too

Great performance by Martin in the MotoGP sprint race at Goiania: after crossing the finish line, a natural outpouring after so much hardship endured.

A nightmare 2025 due to injuries, and a 2026 to face with a strong desire for redemption. Jorge Martin had a good Thailand Grand Prix and arrived in Brazil eager to do even better. He got off on the right foot, as he took third place in the sprint race. His first podium since joining Aprilia, though what really counts is the main race. Martinator knows it well, and for Sunday he’s aiming to be back in the top 3.

After crossing the finish line, the Spanish rider broke down in tears, a clear sign of how important today’s result is for him: "I’m really happy - he told MotoGP’s official channels - thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to be here. It’s been a tough journey, two and a half months ago my girlfriend was feeding me because I couldn’t eat on my own, and now I’m here. We keep improving."

Martin went through a very complicated 2025, and even the start of 2026 wasn’t easy, as in December he underwent two surgeries necessary to fully recover from previous injuries. He had to miss the Malaysian test and returned for the next one in Thailand, where he then finished fifth in the Sprint and fourth in the race. Already in Buriram we saw a solid Martinator with great growth potential. In Goiania he confirmed those impressions and will likely be a protagonist throughout the season.

Speaking also to Sky Sport MotoGP, the two-time world champion reiterated his satisfaction with today’s result: "I worked a lot to be here; it’s not something that comes out of nowhere. I’m back in shape, and with the Aprilia, with every run I feel more of what I need and what I have to do to ride it. For me this is a beginning; I have to keep working. It will be a great season, but right now I still have to figure out everything to put it all together and be even stronger. Last year I learned some things, but for me it feels like I jumped from 2024 to 2026. For Sunday’s race we’ll need to make a few tweaks to the front, because today I was on the limit; doing 31 laps will be tough."

The long race will certainly be more demanding, but Martin is highly motivated and wants to take another podium. His dream is to achieve his first win with Aprilia, which won’t be easy at all. Marc Marquez fully intends to do the double after taking the Sprint. We’ll see if his compatriot can put Aprilia on the top step.