The relationship between Jorge Martin and Aprilia may end a year earlier than expected. The defending champion is looking to leave the manufacturer in 2025.
The Spaniard has activated an exit clause in his two-year contract that allows him to leave if he is not in a competitive position after the first six races. Martin visited Aprilia at the French Grand Prix to tell them about his intentions.
Martin has only competed in one race in 2025, having been ravaged with injury over the winter. On his return to MotoGP in Qatar, he broke 11 ribs and punctured a lung in a horror crash in the Grand Prix, leaving him sidelined with a lengthy recovery.
While he has barely ridden the RS-GP25, he has crashed heavily whenever he has been on it. Martin is ‘afraid’ the bike is not what was promised at the start of the season, hence why he is looking to leave early.
Aprilia sit bottom of the constructors’ championship after six races. Rookie Ai Ogura is their top rider for Trackhouse, while Marco Bezzecchi lacks consistency and Lorenzo Savadori is off the pace as Martin’s replacement.
Aprilia will no doubt challenge Martin as they will want their star rider to see out his contract. But the situation may have damaged their relationship beyond repair.
Aprilia have ‘destroyed’ the relationship with Jorge Martin as the ‘trust is now broken’
Speaking via the Paddock Pass Podcast, David Emmett says the ‘trust is now broken’ between the two parties. Martin is dissatisfied with the project, while Emmett believes Aprilia were ‘unreasonable’ in wanting to get rid of his exit clause.
“It does seem, to me, it seems unreasonable that Aprilia wanted to drop the clause completely,” he said.
“The just thing to do is to say: ‘Look, alright, we’ve lost this, we’re going to take the next x-races or your first six races to make an assessment of where you are and we’ll set these goals’.
“Obviously he’s not going to be in there in the running for the championship. But you have to set realistic goals and both sides need to give each other a chance to prove it.
“To me, the problem is that trust is now broken. Trust is everything in all of these relationships and this whole situation has just destroyed the trust and I don’t think there’s any way back from it.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend
Could Jorge Martin have opened the door for Pedro Acosta to join Ducati with Honda links?
Aprilia may have alienated Martin with their ‘inconsistent’ way of working behind the scenes. It is the exact reason why Maverick Vinales left for KTM – his fellow compatriot could do the same in 2025.
Honda appears to be the defending champion’s preferred destination, with factory rider Luca Marini out of contract at the end of the year. Giacomo Agostini has questioned why Martin would join Honda, stating he cannot be sure they are an upgrade on Aprilia.
The Japanese manufacturer has been linked with several riders across the year, but Honda will not move for Martin while he is under contract. He must break his deal with Aprilia before making the switch; a repeat of his situation at KTM.
Pedro Acosta may have inadvertently influenced Martin as he plots a move to Ducati. Up until recently, Acosta was heavily linked with Honda, but he appears to show little interest in joining the team.
VR46 are now in pole position to sign Acosta, even if funding the deal will be an issue. He could have opened the door for Martin to get his move to Honda.
