It feels like an absolute age ago that Jorge Martin suffered a devastating crash in MotoGP’s pre-season tests which would see him ruled out for multiple races.
A disastrous start to his Aprilia career has soon turned into a nightmare for the Italian outfit, with the recent revelation that the Spaniard could leave them at the end of the year.
Martin has a performance clause in his contract, which he seems prepared to activate, but has decided to give his team six races upon his return to full-time action to prove themselves.
His MotoGP return date is yet to be revealed, but it’s likely that it comes at some stage before the summer break.
Aprilia have encountered a legal ‘problem’ and cannot sign a replacement for 2026 until they know for sure that they need one.
The problem remains that Aprilia’s rivals may snub Martin, leaving him with few options for next year, particularly ones that he would want to explore.
Paco Sanchez makes ‘not common’ contract claim about Jorge Martin and Aprilia
The inclusion of a performance clause in Martin’s contract is especially confusing since the team that he has signed for has a pretty good bike. It’s usually around second fastest.
What’s even more frustrating may be the fact that he is allowed to activate his clause when he hasn’t even given it a chance due to injury this year. He hasn’t given them the opportunity they deserve.
Speaking to Diario AS, Joan Mir’s current manager, Paco Sanchez, spoke of how the agreement with Aprilia is ‘not common’ practice within the sport.
“But it is not common to include such a clause in the case of an established rider who is also the current world champion, because their performance cannot give rise to any doubt,” he said.
“And as for the bike, Aprilia has demonstrated a very high competitive level in recent years with Aleix and Maverick, and will surely be after Ducati, the second best bike on the grid, with the rest of the factories getting closer and closer.”
Why the British Grand Prix might have been a crucial turning point for Jorge Martin and Aprilia
Aprilia have had a bike capable of winning races for a while now, and that was proven yet again by Marco Bezzecchi at the British Grand Prix.
After Fabio Quartararo’s retirement, he coasted home with a clear advantage. He looked the fastest out of everyone in Saturday’s sprint, too.
It’s a unique track, but if they can replicate that pace at other tracks, Martin will have the opportunity to put some serious pressure on Ducati.
They seem to have taken a wrong turn in development somewhere, particularly in colder conditions when the front of their bike becomes unstable.
It means the mess created by Martin’s potential Aprilia exit could be fixed if he returns and immediately starts challenging alongside his teammate. He just needs to rebuild that faith in his team.
