After more than four months of absence, Jorge Martin returned to the MotoGP grid this weekend in Brno. The reigning world champion had only competed in one race this season, in Qatar, before serious injuries sustained in preseason kept him away from the circuits.
His return comes at the right time for Aprilia, which has had to cope without its star driver since the start of the season. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi took over, giving the Italian manufacturer a resounding victory at Silverstone and a double podium at AssenBut despite his exploits, the Italian often had to fight alone up front, without the strategic and technical reinforcement of Martin.
Massimo rivola, director ofAprilia Racing : " I think Marco has the bike under control today, but he doesn't have a reference point at the front. As for Jorge, we should to be able to contain it a little during the first races »
For Rivola, no question of rushing Martin, recently returned to private testing at Misano where he regained confidence on the RS-GP25. The boss of the competitionAprilia table on three races before its champion finds the rhythm and hopes to fight at the front alongside Bezzecchi.
« I expect what will happen at least three races before he gets back into the groove by the end of the season. The second half of the season will be very interesting for Aprilia. » – Massimo Rivola.
Contractual saga between Jorge Martin and Aprilia finally closed
This sporting return of Martin also intervenes after the resolution of a thorny contractual issue. Initially wanting to activate an exit clause to join Honda, Martin finally changed his mind. Injured for a large part of the season, he did not meet the performance criteria necessary to exercise his clause.
The situation seemed ready to be resolved in the Italian courts, but Martin preferred to end the standoff. He is now "certain" to stay at home Aprilia until 2026, according to the latest indiscretions.
Marc Marquez He himself welcomed the decision of Martin : " I think it's the best thing for him to do. Abandoning a project without knowing what he can get out of it is never a good idea. »
With Martin back and a more competitive RS-GP25 than ever, Aprilia has big ambitions for the second half of the season. The objective is clear: to place its two drivers regularly at the forefront to challenge the supremacy of Marc Marquez et Ducati.
The recovery at Brno, the first Grand Prix on this circuit since 2020, promises to be a turning point for the Noale brand, ready to definitively turn the page on this start to the season MotoGP tormented.
