Jorge Martin-Aprilia, peace made and a world championship dream: it could be a wonderful story

With tensions set aside, Martin and Aprilia are preparing for a high-level 2026 MotoGP season.

When the news broke last May about Jorge Martin’s intention to leave Aprilia at the end of 2025, everyone was left stunned. Why would a rider who had only raced one Grand Prix with the RS-GP25 decide to leave? Moreover, by invoking a clause that did allow him to depart if he wasn’t in the MotoGP top 5 after the first six Grands Prix—but which seemed impossible to leverage after having raced just one, in Qatar, where he suffered his third injury in a few months.

If fans and media were shocked by Martinator’s decision, Aprilia themselves were also completely caught off guard. Massimo Rivola, in a documentary published on MotoGP’s official channels, described his reaction. He thought manager Albert Valera was joking when he explained the decision, even acknowledging the existence of an offer from Honda. Later, he told the rider clearly that he wouldn’t let him go. A very delicate situation to manage indeed.

There was a risk of ending up in a legal battle, and perhaps some other manufacturers would have gone down that road after the stance taken by Martin and his manager. But Aprilia enforced the existing contract and defended its investment in the 2025 MotoGP champion. Even knowing they faced a difficult process of rebuilding the relationship with the rider, the Noale team chose this path rather than giving in to disappointment and anger.

The Aprilia garage is often described as a “family”, and the way they handled the Martin case confirmed that the label fits. In a real family there can be debates, clashes, and arguments, but often in the end the parties manage to set tensions aside and move forward, stronger than before. Jorge wasn’t yet fully integrated into the Noale team, having suffered injuries that kept him off the track for a long time, but over the course of 2025 he certainly had the chance to appreciate the work done by the “head of the family” Rivola and all the Aprilia crew. Even if he might never admit it, he would probably not try to leave if he could go back.

During the last MotoGP season Aprilia’s technical growth was evident, and with Marco Bezzecchi they were consistently at the very front after a few early “shakedown” Grands Prix. The Noale manufacturer clinched a historic second place in the constructors’ standings and the Rimini rider finished third. The foundations are there for a great 2026, and they should become even more solid thanks to the work done in recent months on the new RS-GP as well as finally being able to count on Martin too. Developing and attacking with two spearheads will make it easier.

Bezzecchi is a talented rider and still has plenty to give—2025 surely gave him a big confidence boost for the future—but Martinator is a two-time world champion and therefore has the potential to be a major protagonist next season. If he’s in good physical shape and completes excellent winter testing, we’re confident we’ll see him fighting for the key positions from the very start of the new championship. His goal is to win races and the title: the dream of doing it with Aprilia as well, ending Ducati’s reign, is very much alive. On Thursday, January 16 in Milan the team will be unveiled, and Jorge will surely reiterate his desire for success. The Noale brand has never won the MotoGP world title; pulling it off would be historic, and he likes to make history—he already did by becoming champion with a satellite team like Prima Pramac. After everything he went through in 2025, the hunger is immense.