Jorge Martin’s Aprilia exit could be seismic for the MotoGP rider market. It had looked set to be a relatively settled season.
After last year’s reshuffle, most of the grid are on two-year deals. That includes world champion Martin.
However, the Spaniard’s deal includes an exit clause that became active after last weekend’s French Grand Prix. It hinged upon his position in the riders’ standings – and he’s currently bottom.
Martin has missed five out of six races through injury and crashed out in Qatar when he did feature. The clause was intended to be performance-based, but he may have found a loophole.
Honda have been linked with Martin, which means Luca Marini could lose his seat. And then there’s the matter of Aprilia finding a replacement for their A-list signing.
According to a report from The Race, Aprilia would ‘almost certainly’ hold talks with Trackhouse over Ai Ogura if Martin leaves. Last year’s Moto2 champion has been excellent since his graduation, with his 43 points good enough for 10th in the championship – two spots ahead of Marco Bezzecchi.
Ogura signed for two years at Trackhouse, so their boss Davide Brivio would have to agree to give him up early. Fortunately for Aprilia, the American team may already have a plan B lined up.
‘There has been chatter in MotoGP circles’ that Trackhouse are interested in Diogo Moreira. He would bring commercial incentives.
If Aprilia want a more experienced option, they could look at either Marini or four-time premier-class winner Jack Miller, who’s also out of contract.
The one thing Aprilia can still do to keep hold of Jorge Martin
Moreira stepped up to Moto2 last year and finished 13th in the championship on 80 points, scoring a podium at the final round in Barcelona. With four top-five finishes in six events this season, he’s clearly gone up a level.
It was reported in the winter that Moreira would ‘most likely’ step up to MotoGP in 2026. It would come at the perfect time for the series as Brazil returns to the calendar.
| RANK | RIDER | TEAM | PTS |
| 1 | Manu Gonzalez | IntactGP | 111 |
| 2 | Aron Canet | Fantic Racing | 95 |
| 3 | Jake Dixon | Marc VDS Racing Team | 77 |
| 4 | Barry Baltus | Fantic Racing | 73 |
| 5 | Diogo Moreira | Italtrans Racing Team | 50 |
Martin’s Aprilia departure isn’t certain just yet, though. Reports suggest he’s given them around six races to prove their worth.
Moreira will be hoping he goes through with the bombshell exit. No other Moto2 riders have been seriously linked with a MotoGP team this year.
