The MotoGP paddock is in turmoil: 2024 champion Jorge Martin could leave Aprilia before even competing in a single Grand Prix with the team! A contractual clause would allow the Spanish rider to seek new horizons as early as 2026, plunging his future into uncertainty. It's a disaster ", Neil Hodgson said on TNT Sports. We never want to see that. We were told he signed for two years, but we didn't know about that clause. »
He has not yet seen the finish of a single Grand Prix on Sunday with Aprilia, and yet the future of Jorge Martin seems to already be playing out behind the scenes. Arriving with great fanfare after his 2024 MotoGP victory with Pramac Ducati, the Spanish driver could leave the Noale firm at the end of the 2025 season, without even having had time to properly defend his title.
Injured during pre-season testing, then victim of a violent highside in Qatar, Martin has not yet been able to fully begin its campaign. And as former driver Neil Hodgson, now a consultant for TNT Sports, notes, the situation is turning into a contractual tug-of-war:
« It's a disaster. We never want to see that. We were told he signed for two years, but we didn't know there was an exit clause " he explained on crash.net. And he gives his interpretation of the facts: " Jorge asked Aprilia : “Can we think about it a little longer?” But they replied, “No, we have to decide now.” He said no »
« Jorge Martin has already done this with KTM in Moto2, and it was the right choice. »
This clause, which could be activated within a specific time window, was supposed to allow Martín and Aprilia to reassess their collaboration. The problem: this period fell during his convalescence. Since then, both sides have stuck to their positions.
« I think he'll leave at the end of the year.He already did it with KTM in Moto2, and it was the right choice. " warns Hodgson.
In his absence, Aprilia shone at Silverstone thanks to Marco Bezzecchi. A success that Massimo rivola, boss of Aprilia Racing, did not hesitate to use as a barely veiled message towards his convalescent champion: " we have a winning bike. » It remains to be seen whether Martin will ride again for Noale – or if he is just passing through…
