Jorge Martin opens the throttle: "No one can stop me

Jorge Martin wants to put a 2025 marred by injuries behind him and reclaim a place at the top of MotoGP. He’s rediscovered his enthusiasm and aims for big results with Aprilia, despite having tried to terminate his contract to join Honda. The RS-GP has proven to be a winning bike with Bezzecchi, but will that be enough to keep the champion from answering the siren call of the market?

In recent months, the Madrid-born rider has worked on both mind and body to mount an assault on a second MotoGP title. "I feel ready; I feel like no one can stop me," he said during Aprilia’s team launch. "That’s how I’m approaching the season—that’s my mentality when I’m strong." In Thailand, for the first race, he’ll be in peak condition. "When I’m at 100% and in sync with the bike, I’m sure I can fight to win races."

Jorge Martin wants to rediscover the confidence of 2024, when he won his first MotoGP title with Ducati Pramac. Despite the long layoff, he gave guidance to Aprilia’s engineers, which they promptly followed. " I’m sure I’m not the one who developed the bike the most... There were a few very important things for me, and also for Marco, that I pushed for, and they carried them through. It’ll be interesting to see how they help. In some areas they are helping me and will help my riding style this year."

Coming back from an injury doesn’t have to be a limitation. Marc Marquez has shown that you can return to being number one even after many setbacks. "He’s been a great example for everyone. Now, he’s the greatest on the grid, with so many World Championships, and he’s a role model, because it can be done—he did it. I don’t want to compare myself to anyone, but I’m confident. In 2021 I was close to stopping; instead, later, I won a race and then a World Championship. Now I’m convinced I can do it, and seeing his story, even more so."

Finally, there’s the rider market to contend with; behind the scenes, MotoGP is buzzing among managers and factory executives. But Jorge Martin knows it’s better to keep quiet for now... "Today isn’t the day to talk about the market, because we have a great bike in front of us." The pull of Honda remains strong, but the results from the first races of 2026 could persuade the ‘Martinator’ to stay...