As the standoff between Jorge Martin and Aprilia intensifies, Honda is positioning itself as a silent predator, ready to offer the 2024 champion a golden exit. But between financial compensation, Dorna's intervention, and a legal battle, this transfer could become the most explosive of the decade.
While he only played a few rounds in 2025 due to injuries, George Martin activated a clause to leave Aprilia at the end of the season, suggesting a legal storm. Officially, the contract runs until 2026, but the Spaniard, disappointed by the RS-GP25 and the technical direction of the project, is already looking for the exit door. Aprilia, she contests the validity of this clause, arguing that the year 2025, marked by inactivity, does not count contractually.
Faced with the impasse, both sides are preparing for a showdown in court, unless a quick compromise is reached. According to several sources, Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna) would support Aprilia and would seek to prevent Martin to leave too easily, for fear of a bad precedent.
More Honda is just waiting for the green light to strike hard: a three-year contract, doubled salary, and advanced discussions around the payment of financial compensation to ApriliaThe agreement seems so advanced that, according to journalist Ricard Jové, Honda would have even agreed to help Martin to advance the necessary funds.
« The driver will probably advance the sum, and another well-known brand will then reimburse him. ", did he declare.
Jorge Martin could end up at Tech3, in case Honda takes KTM's place
The most likely scenario would be a place in the factory team HRC, alongside another driver to be designated. Luca marini could leave the team, his contract expiring at the end of 2025. Joan mir, although under contract until 2026, was mentioned on the side of the LCR satellite team, if zarco retains its handlebars with technical guarantees.
An alternative, more surprising option: seeing Martin land at Tech3, in the event that Honda would buy the team from KTM. Bajaj, owner of the group Pierer Mobility, would seek to partially disengage for economic reasons, opening a strategic window for Honda.
If this transaction goes through, it would be a thunderbolt in the paddock: Honda would recover one of the best drivers of the current generation, Aprilia would lose its major bet, and the transfer window MotoGP 2026 would be completely disrupted.
