Contract dispute, injuries, doubts – Martin has left all that behind him – now he is back on fire at Aprilia and wants to give everything back to the brand in sporting terms
At the start of his second season with Aprilia, Jorge Martin has hit the ground running. The 2024 MotoGP World Champion narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth place at the season opener in Thailand. This was followed by an emotional podium finish with third place in the sprint in Brazil.
For the first time since winning the world championship, Martin celebrated at a podium ceremony. The following day, he confirmed his form with second place in the Grand Prix. But it got even better. In Austin, Martin won the sprint and even took over the world championship lead.
In the Grand Prix, he again finished second behind his Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi. After a year marked by injuries, including a contract dispute with Aprilia, Martin is back at the top of the sport.
“Last year was really hard for my life, not just professionally but also personally,” said Martin looking back. “We had all these problems with the contracts and so on. But the moment I make a decision, I’m 100 percent for it.“
”When I decided to come back to Brno and stay with Aprilia in 2026, I was absolutely clear that I wanted to fight for these colors, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I also think that Aprilia is fighting for me and helping me a lot to be at 100 percent again.“
”And yes, I think it’s really important for me to continue like this throughout the season, because I hope if I continue this development, I can fight for big things too.” Martin is just four points behind Bezzecchi in the world championship battle.
Martin feels comfortable on the current RS-GP. He also feels the technical improvements. Aprilia has taken the right steps in recent months. This was already apparent in the fall of last year.
“Yes, I think the aerodynamics were the key for me,” explains Martin. “When I arrived in Thailand, I immediately felt comfortable. I also changed my riding style, in braking and also in acceleration.“
”I adjusted my body position and changed a bit how I brake. And that’s exactly why I feel much better on the Aprilia now.” Nevertheless, Martin still sees scope to reach Bezzecchi’s level.
What does he do differently now when braking? “I don’t want to go into too much detail. I don’t want the others to take over, although I’m sure Marco has already figured that out. But yes, it is simply different, very different from Ducati.“
”Braking is also one of the strong points on Ducati, but the whole way you approach the brake lever is completely different.” The Spanish Grand Prix at the end of April is Martin’s home race on the calendar. He won the sprint in Jerez in 2024.
2026 will be his second and final season with Aprilia. Martin will switch to Yamaha next year. Francesco Bagnaia will take his place.
