Jorge Martin is weighing up a remarkable exit from Aprilia after just one appearance for the team. It emerged this week that the world champion has activated an exit clause in his contract.
During negotiations with Aprilia, Martin’s camp secured the right to leave if he was below a certain position in the championship after round six of 22 – the French GP. His 2025 record includes five absences and one DNF, so he’s inevitably last.
However, it seems that doesn’t prevent the Spaniard, who joined from Pramac in the winter, from triggering the clause. He now has the option to leave should he desire.
Martin has given Aprilia another six races to prove themselves, according to reports. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to take part in any of those events.
Having missed the first three weekends of the year with hand and foot injuries, Martin punctured his lung and broke 11 ribs in a serious accident on his return in Qatar. He may not be fit until after the summer break.
Giacomo Agostini says Jorge Martin can’t be sure Honda are an upgrade on Aprilia
Speaking on the Bobb TV – Paddock TV YouTube channel, motorcycle legend Giacomo Agostini shared his thoughts on the seismic Martin story. Agostini is the most successful rider ever in the premier class, with eight titles to his name.
He’s stunned that Martin has made a judgement on the RS-GP25 after so few laps. He completed just 13 in the Sepang test before a violent highside that ruled him out of the pre-season running.
Even when he rode at Lusail, he apparently had to exercise caution and couldn’t discover the bike’s limits. That leads Agostini to suspect that there’s another, unaired motive at play.
The 82-year-old questioned why Martin would make what he sees as a sideways move to Honda. The Japanese manufacturer ended their two-year victory drought at Le Mans last weekend through LCR’s Johann Zarco, but can’t yet compete in ‘normal conditions’.
“It’s difficult to give an answer, because Martin hasn’t even tried the bike,” Agostini said. “He did four laps [sic], how can you think that the bike isn’t good? Maybe he fell because of the bike, I don’t know.
“We should really know why, because it seems to me that he’s leaving a team where he hasn’t tried the motorbike yet. It’s strange that he understood immediately that the bike doesn’t work.
“He started, he fell and he hurt himself immediately. At his first race, he wasn’t riding fast enough to be able to understand [the bike].
“Why even think about the Honda? Even the Honda is not a winning bike at the moment, maybe in the future.
“It’s the largest team in the world. We are all surprised that Honda fails, but Marquez left Honda. The largest manufacturer in the world let him go to a private team because they had the winning bike. In normal conditions, can Honda fight for the victory? No.”
Aprilia are bottom of the constructors’ standings on 53 points and 11th in the teams’ championship. Martin may feel that alone is justification.
Former Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro is one of the 28-year-old’s closest friends and can offer a direct comparison after joining Honda’s test team. Martin may also have consulted Marco Bezzecchi and been alarmed by his feedback.
But equally, Massimo Rivola would point out that they have had to use a test rider – Lorenzo Savadori – in five out of six races. Savadori, who has far exceeded his anticipated remit, has only scored eight points so far.
Speaking in the winter, Martin predicted he could challenge for the 2026 title at Aprilia. Clearly, he’s seen something in the last two and a half months to lose almost all hope.
