Jorge Martin took advantage of the French Grand Prix at Le Mans to announce to Aprilia his intention to activate an exit clause in his contract, paving the way for a transfer to Honda in 2026. A decision as unexpected as it was far-reaching for the Noale factory, which believed it had found its undisputed leader in Martin.
Arrived at Aprilia in 2025 with a two-year contract worth 8 million euros, Martin had accepted this offer after being snubbed by Ducati, who preferred him Marc Marquez to support Francis BagnaiaThe Italian team from Noale thought they had secured one of the most explosive talents in the paddock, who is also the reigning World Champion under the Borgo Panigale label. But the romance was cut short.
The clause activated by Martin would allow, according to him, to terminate the second year of his contract if, at the end of the French Grand Prix, he did not appear in the top 3 of the championnat. However, because of his injury - which occurred during his fall in Qatar and was aggravated by a collision with Fabio DiGiannantonio — Martin scored no points in the first nine innings, eight of which he had to miss with eleven fractured ribs and a hemopneumothorax.
Aprilia would seek to block the announcement of Jorge Martin's departure to leave him no other option but to stay
Aprilia, for its part, contests the validity of this exit clause, arguing that exceptional medical circumstances must be taken into account. According to sources relayed by AS, the team would try to delay any officialization to force the driver to stay, hoping to create a situation where Martin would have "no other choice" but to respect his second year of contract.
The Madrid driver is nevertheless determined to join Honda and is preparing to face a potential contract battle. He is aiming for a return to competition during the Czech Republic Grand Prix, in Brno (18-20 July), a circuit considered more physically tolerant than the Sachsenring, the scene of the German Grand Prix planned a week earlier. He also plans to conduct a test with the RS GP by then, probably Misano. " We are waiting for the green light from the doctors for Jorge ", said Paolo Bonora, Aprilia's sporting director, told Autosport about his rider's return. As soon as this is done, and thanks to the change of regulations that we have proposed, we will be able to organize a test day. »
Aprilia plans three test sessions before the end of the season: July 30 and 31 and August 11 and 12 on the Barcelona-Catalonia circuit, and the October 29 and 30 in Jerez. These sessions should take place after the return of Martin, currently scheduled for the mid-July. " As soon as we get the green light from Dr. Charte, we will look for a date. ", added Bonora, without confirming the location. However, everything suggests that the circuit of Misano will take place the second week of July, probably the July 8 or 9.
Finally, behind the scenes, the series goes beyond the sporting framework. Carmelo EzpeletaCEO Dorna, would view with a very bad eye a transfer of Martin toward Honda, no doubt fearing for the attractiveness ofAprilia and the balance of power in the paddock.
George Martin, 27 years old and already 20 times poleman in the premier class, knows that the matter will be long and potentially conflictual. But he has chosen his side. And he seems ready to do anything to ride in Honda red from 2026.
