Honda are the heavy favourites to sign Jorge Martin in the event that he leaves Aprilia. Martin has activated a release clause in his contract based on his championship position.
Honda will only sign Martin if he makes a clean break from Aprilia, but it’s unclear how long that will take. His current employers believe his exit clause is invalid given that he’s missed all but one race through injury.
Martin could sign a three-year deal at Honda if he breaks away successfully. It’s worth noting that the world champion isn’t fully committed to leaving at this stage, but that is the direction of travel.
With Johann Zarco willing to stay at LCR despite being Honda’s lead rider this season, Martin would partner Joan Mir at the factory squad. It would then be a shoot-out between Luca Marini and Somkiat Chantra, who offers commercial incentives, for the second seat at LCR.
Francesco Guidotti could reunite with Jorge Martin at Honda
According to a report from Paddock GP, HRC team manager Alberto Puig is considering his future even as he ‘orchestrates’ the pursuit of Martin. Puig has held the role since 2018, overseeing two championship-winning seasons with Marc Marquez.
Honda are at the beginning of what they hope will be a resurgence, having won for the first time since 2023 courtesy of Zarco at the French GP. But at 58, Puig may feel the time is right to step aside, with the team now in a much more promising position than they were 12 months ago.
There’s a possibility that Francesco Guidotti will be his successor. Guidotti most recently served as KTM team boss until the end of 2024.
While the KTM hierarchy were evidently disappointed with the Italian’s performance, he does have a prior relationship with Martin. In 2021, he welcomed him to Pramac, where he went on to become MotoGP champion.
Francesco Guidotti will never forget one moment from working with Jorge Martin
Martin controversially broke with KTM to join the Ducati stable. His manager extracted from his contract because a performance clause hadn’t been met – but the season hadn’t started due to the pandemic.
Guidotti’s first attempt to lure Martin was successful, if controversial, but his second didn’t come off. The 2018 Moto3 champion was on the market last year after losing out on a Ducati factory seat.
Guidotti pushed for KTM to target Martin, but they ended up moving for Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini instead. One can understand why the Austrian manufacturer were reluctant to sanction a reunion.
But their former boss could get his wish if he joins Honda. Guidotti has fond memories of working with Martin, recalling that he had ‘shivers’ after his first-ever MotoGP lap in Qatar.
