Jorge Martin’s shock plans to leave Aprilia before 2026 have caused chaos in the MotoGP rider market.
Martin told Aprilia at the French Grand Prix that he would be activating his exit clause in his two-year contract. It allows him to leave if he is not in a competitive position after the first six races of 2025.
The Spaniard has only taken part in one race this year, having missed pre-season and the opening three races with hand fractures, before suffering 11 broken ribs and a pneumothorax in the Qatar Grand Prix.
Martin has followed Aprilia’s progress during his recovery and has been unsatisfied with the RS-GP25’s performance. The team are bottom of the standings, with rookie Ai Ogura being their highest-placed rider in 10th.
The Noale outfit will fight their case with the 2024 MotoGP champion, as they believe the exit clause is invalid due to his lack of participation in the 2025 season. Martin is surprised by Aprilia’s stance as he targets a move to Honda.
Honda will not sign Martin unless he breaks his contract with Aprilia, creating a complicated situation for all parties. The Japanese manufacturer have two seats available in 2026, but they could be looking to do more business than that in the rider market.
Honda could pair Pedro Acosta with Jorge Martin despite Joan Mir’s 2026 contract
HRC rider Luca Marini and LCR’s Johann Zarco are out of contract in 2025. The pair are believed to be in discussions with Honda, but the former seems likely to leave at the end of the season.
This is heightened by the fact that Zarco is likely to stay at LCR if Honda signs Martin. The Frenchman is willing to sacrifice a factory seat at HRC if he is given a two-year contract and the current spec bike.
Joan Mir is contracted until 2026, but his future with the Japanese outfit is uncertain. The 2020 champion has desperately struggled to stay on the bike in 2025, retiring from five out of the six races thus far.
Despite Mir’s contract, he could be at risk of losing his seat. The likes of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Pedro Acosta have been linked with Honda in recent weeks.
The latter has a two-year factory contract with KTM, but Acosta is getting frustrated with the manufacturer’s situation, from a technical standstill to financial woes.
Acosta and Martin have Albert Valera as their manager. In a report from Paddock GP, it is possible that the Spaniards could be paired together, ‘depending on the contractual evolution’ and Valera’s intentions.
Where do Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta stand with their Aprilia and KTM contracts?
While a Martin-Acosta partnership is possible, it is a complicated situation for Honda. Both riders have two-year factory contracts, which Aprilia and KTM will say they must honour.
Martin has proposed a six-race extension of his exit clause, taking it up to the round in Brno. It is not known if the Spaniard will be fit for any of those six races.
Aprilia have ‘rejected’ the proposal as they say they have an agreement with Martin until 2026. What’s more is that Aprilia cannot sign Martin’s replacement until he leaves, meaning a solution needs to be found between the two parties, and indeed, Honda.
It is a similar story with Acosta, whom Honda will not move for unless he is free of his KTM contract. Keith Huewen is certain Acosta has an exit clause in his contract, which could open the door for a transfer.
However, Acosta is not interested in Honda’s money, as the Spaniard eyes a move to Ducati. Valentino Rossi’s VR46 have been linked with the 20-year-old, with Franco Morbidelli being out of contract in 2025.
