Aprilia remain intent on Jorge Martin staying at the Italian outfit in the 2026 MotoGP season, yet that has not stopped the Noale crew from finding possible replacements.
The MotoGP rider market went into overdrive after the French Grand Prix in May, as Martin told Aprilia bosses that he already wants to leave the team. Aprilia only welcomed the 2024 riders’ champion into their ranks this year and have also only seen him race the RS-GP once.
Martin had to decide on triggering his release clause by the Le Mans event as the Spaniard’s clause stipulated he could leave Aprilia at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season if he was not a title contender after the French GP. As Martin is still yet to take a point, he is 26th and last.
Yet Aprilia do not believe Martin’s exit clause is valid, given he has now missed seven of the first eight rounds. The Madrid native is also set to miss another four, as Martin is unlikely to return from injury by the summer break due to his hemopneumothorax and 11 broken ribs.
Davide Brivio insists Aprilia target Ai Ogura will race for Trackhouse in the 2026 MotoGP season
Nonetheless, Martin has confirmed he has triggered an exit clause to leave Aprilia, with the 27-year-old looking at a switch to Honda for 2026. Martin has reached an agreement to join Honda next season, yet the Japanese brand will not finalise their deal until he leaves Aprilia.
Honda and Martin may be waiting a little longer, too, as Davide Brivio has thrown a spanner in the works for Aprilia’s interest in Ai Ogura. That is according to Marca, which reports the door is likely shut to Ogura joining Aprilia, despite Manuel Gonzalez testing for Trackhouse.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ai Ogura from height to career stats
Trackhouse team principal Brivio has confirmed that Ogura and Raul Fernandez will both be staying put next year, with Gonzalez’s debut MotoGP test at Aragon this Monday only down to the American squad needing a stand-in with their Japanese rider recovering from injury.
Marca quotes Brivio noting: “There’s nothing beyond this event for him. Ai, unfortunately, couldn’t ride. So, the bike was free and we decided to do something good. We’re not looking for a rider, as both Ai and Raul have contracts until 2026.
“It’s interesting, also for the team, to gain more experience with rookies, and I think it could be useful for us.”
Trackhouse signed Ogura and Fernandez to direct contracts for the American team through the 2026 MotoGP season, giving Aprilia no sway over their situations at the Italian factory’s satellite crew. Martin and Marco Bezzecchi are the only factory Aprilia riders through 2026.
Manuel Gonzalez was not Trackhouse’s first-choice rider for the Aragon post-race test
Aprilia have shown an interest in Ogura replacing Martin, should the Spaniard join Honda in 2026, having impressed in his rookie campaign with Trackhouse. The 2024 Moto2 champion finished fifth on his debut in Thailand and had four top-10 finishes before suffering an injury.
READ MORE: 2025 MotoGP riders’ contracts and wages, with Jorge Martin’s Aprilia deal
Ogura is recovering from the right tibia fracture the Trackhouse rider sustained during Friday morning practice at Silverstone. The 24-year-old underwent surgery on his injured leg and is focusing on recovering after missing the British Grand Prix and Aragon Grand Prix as a result.
Trackhouse and Ogura now hope he will be fit to return for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on June 20-22. But his absence meant Trackhouse had a vacant Aprilia for the Aragon post-race test, so Brivio gave Moto2 championship leader Gonzalez his first go on a MotoGP bike.
Gonzalez’s cameo is unlikely to affect the rider market for the 2026 MotoGP season, though. It is even said that Aprilia wanted Diogo Moreira instead of Gonzalez for the Aragon test this Monday, but the Brazilian’s contract with the Italtrans Moto2 team blocked his opportunity.
