Jorge Martin has sprung the MotoGP rider market into life with his sudden desire to leave Aprilia, but Yamaha have now set their eyes on signing another big-name star.
Shockwaves have torn through the paddock after Martin met Aprilia at Le Mans and told the Italian factory that the 27-year-old already plans on activating the exit clause in his two-year contract. But Aprilia do not think Martin’s exit clause is valid having only raced at one round.
Martin was meant to be Aprilia’s new leader after joining ahead of the 2025 MotoGP season as the reigning riders’ champion to replace his close friend Aleix Espargaro. Yet he wants out despite missing six of the first seven rounds through injury as the Spaniard doubts their bike.
Honda team manager Alberto Puig has confirmed his Japanese crew are interested in a deal to sign the Madrid native if Martin and Aprilia agree on a mutual termination of his contract. They will not act while he is tied down, yet Honda are ready to double Martin’s Aprilia wage.
Yamaha mark Francesco Bagnaia as their ‘forbidden dream’ for the 2026 MotoGP season
Francesco Bagnaia stated on Thursday at the British Grand Prix that he thinks Martin should “respect” the contract he signed with Aprilia. The 28-year-old made it clear that he is firmly opposed to riders breaking out of their contracts, regardless of if they feature an exit clause.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
But the Italian’s stance has not stopped Yamaha from identifying Ducati star Bagnaia as their ‘forbidden dream’ in the MotoGP rider market for the 2026 season. That is according to Sky Italia, which reports that the Japanese brand ‘dreams’ of Bagnaia racing on an M1 next year.
Yamaha are ready to welcome Bagnaia to Iwata with open arms if the Turin native agrees to end his contract with Ducati through the 2026 campaign early. Like Honda with Martin, they would only make Bagnaia an offer if he and Ducati consensually agreed to part prematurely.
Bagnaia may also have to agree to ride for Yamaha’s de facto second factory team, Pramac, to trade his Ducati Desmosedici GP25 for a YZR-M1 in 2026. Pramac have the only free seat in the Yamaha fold for next season, as Jack Miller only has a factory contract for this season.
Works riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins, plus Pramac pilot Miguel Oliveira, have factory Yamaha contracts through 2026. Quartararo and Miller are also proving the M1 could be an appealing package, with the former now securing pole position at three consecutive rounds.
Yamaha have the highest-paid rider on the 2025 MotoGP grid with Fabio Quartararo
Quartararo beat Alex Marquez to pole at Silverstone to add to the Frenchman’s recent poles for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez and on home soil at Le Mans for the French Grand Prix. It is the first time since 2021 that Yamaha have enjoyed such a productive streak in qualifying.
In contrast, Bagnaia is still struggling to adapt to the Ducati GP25 this year after only sealing P6 as Alex Marquez led Marc to win the Silverstone Sprint on Saturday at the British GP. The Italian also now trails Ducati teammate Marc Marquez by 56 points in the riders’ standings.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats
The two-time MotoGP champion’s struggles to remould his riding style to suit the GP25 may put a seed of doubt in Bagnaia’s mind that a move from Ducati to Yamaha in 2026 could be a sensible change of scenery. He has only had Ducatis since Bagnaia’s MotoGP debut in 2019.
But Bagnaia would have to break out of the €7m-a-year (£6m-a-year) contract extension the Italian signed with Ducati in March 2024 taking him through the 2026 season. His terms also feature bonuses, weighted on a title, which can see Bagnaia earn in excess of €10m (£8.5m).
Yamaha already have the highest-paid rider on the 2025 MotoGP grid in Quartararo, having given the 26-year-old a new deal through the 2026 season in April 2024 worth €12m-a-year (£10m-a-year). It remains to be seen if Yamaha would be happy to also pay Bagnaia heavily.
