Jorge Martin is not only visiting the Aprilia “All Stars” event in Misano, he is also riding on the track – schedule for comeback still open
Last weekend, the Aprilia “All Stars” event took place in Misano (Italy). Among others, Max Biaggi and Silverstone winner Marco Bezzecchi were there, but also Jorge Martin. The presence of the reigning MotoGP world champion was eagerly awaited after recent contract discussions.
“I’m doing well. Physically, I feel a little better, and that’s the most important thing,” Martin is quoted as saying by our Italian colleagues at GPOne.com. “Mentally, I’m slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel again. I’m satisfied.”
Martin has not ridden a motorcycle since his accident in Qatar in mid-April. However, he did not miss the opportunity to do a few laps on road bikes in Misano. That wasn’t even planned at first.
“But when I got here and saw all the Aprilias in the pits – the Tuono, the RSV4 – I felt like doing it. It was a beautiful day. I didn’t ride much, maybe 20 laps, but it felt good, and that’s what matters.“
”Of course, there was a risk of crashing – if that had happened, it would have been a disaster,“ laughs Martin. ”But I stayed calm.” With summer temperatures on the Adriatic coast, nothing happened.
Massimo Rivola was also at the event and appeared relaxed overall. “But I was nervous because you’re afraid he might get hurt – he’s still a long way from his top form,” says the Aprilia motorsport boss.
“But Jorge was very sensible: he first rode the RS660, then the RSV4 together with some customers to act as a coach at the Pro Experience event – it was a very nice event. In the end, I was satisfied.”
It is still unclear when Martin will make his comeback. No specific timetable was given at this event either. But it looks like he will complete a private test before his return. The latest rule change makes this possible.
“I will definitely do a test before the summer break,” Martin confirmed. “I think they are working on something, so I will definitely be back on the MotoGP bike. I don’t know yet if it will be enough for a race weekend – you have to be 100 percent fit for that.”
“And I’m not there yet. In any case, I have a very intense month ahead of me to get back into shape.” Martin is already able to train on his road bike, as he has shown on his Instagram profile.
It is not known whether Rivola and Martin discussed the contract situation in private at Misano. Martin wants to leave the team with an exit clause, while Aprilia insists that the contract is binding until the end of 2026.
Martin said only this much into the microphones in Misano: “I can’t say much about that at the moment. I explained how I feel in a statement, and Aprilia has also released a statement. We now have to work some things out and see how the future develops.”