MotoGP, Yamaha behind the scenes: here's why it chose Jorge Martin for 2027-2028

Paolo Pavesio, head of Yamaha’s racing activities, explained how the Iwata manufacturer decided to bet on the Martinator for 2027–2028: together with Ogura, he will form a great duo.

Yamaha has been going through very difficult years in MotoGP and is banking heavily on next year for a revival. With the new technical regulations and the new tire supplier, all manufacturers are starting from scratch. The Iwata factory is working hard with the goal of seizing the opportunity and getting back to positions more fitting for its winning history in the category. Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura are the riders chosen to replace Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins in the factory team, both convinced that the new project will mark a turning point compared to the brand’s current poor results.

Martin and Ogura currently ride Aprilias and are competitive, but it’s unclear whether the Noale manufacturer will be strong in 2027 with the 850 prototype and Pirelli tires. Based on the present, it would have been easier to bet on Aprilia than on Yamaha, but the two riders hope they’ve made the right choice for their future.

In Iwata they’re tired of taking a beating and are investing heavily to become protagonists in MotoGP again. Even if today’s results are negative and foster pessimism about the future, there is actually major effort behind the scenes to get back to consistently fighting for podiums and victories. Only time will tell if Yamaha has taken the right path.

There had been rumors about a possible signing of Pecco Bagnaia, who then decided to sign for Aprilia, but Yamaha is very happy to have secured Martin for the next two MotoGP seasons. Paolo Pavesio, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing, spoke about it to Motorsport.com: "We signed a rider who has won a MotoGP World Championship, came close to another, who has the talent and speed of the top 4–5. He’s part of that group. It’s easier to say now that he’s at the sharp end of the standings and has found consistency in performance. I think he’s missing the peak because on the Aprilia he practically lost a year due to injury. We believed in the rider. We had the advantage of having Gino Borsoi, who knows him well, also to understand the person behind the rider."

Pavesio had a clear idea of the profile needed for the Yamaha factory team and greatly appreciated Martin’s approach during the negotiations: "Jorge made us feel wanted. I wanted someone with whom I could be transparent about the project, but also someone who was eager to join a company that is currently struggling in terms of performance, yet is investing a lot and has a great history. History guarantees us no future success. But what I sensed is that he wants to come and lend a hand to a company that has won the premier class World Championship with only seven riders—what riders they were! For a guy who has already won the title, if he can do that with us, he puts himself on that list. At that time, we wanted at least one top rider and things developed that way."

The Italian racing executive is convinced he has signed a rider highly motivated to take on the Yamaha challenge, determined to succeed with a third different manufacturer in MotoGP. After winning the title with Ducati’s Prima Pramac team, Martin is now fighting for the crown aboard the Aprilia: in 2027 or 2028 he hopes to contend for something important again when he climbs onto the Japanese bike. We’ll see if the partnership delivers the expected results.

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