Jorge Martín’s rollercoaster 2025 MotoGP season
06 August 2025After clinching the 2024 MotoGP World Championship, Jorge Martín entered 2025 as the man to beat. But instead of mounting a title defence, the Spaniard’s year has been defined by injury setbacks and contractual politics.
Despite all his challenges in 2025, there’s still plenty of cause for optimism in the second half of the year.
Here, we’ll look at the ups and downs, and what’s still to come for Jorge Martín this season.
A trio of injuries derails title defence
Martín’s nightmare began before the first lights out of the season. In February’s Sepang pre-season test, he suffered a highside crash that left him with a broken right hand.
Just weeks later, disaster struck again, this time in training. Another crash left him with a fractured left hand, ruling him out of the Thailand season opener and the first four rounds of the championship.
But the worst was yet to come. Martín returned to the grid at the Qatar Grand Prix, but endured a terrifying crash on lap 14. After hitting the deck on the outside kerb, he was struck by Fabio Di Giannantonio’s bike, resulting in a collapsed lung and 11 broken ribs.
The severity of the injuries ruled him out of action for another three months, sidelining him for seven more rounds. It was a brutal blow for a rider who came into the season donning the #1 plate.
Contract chaos adds fuel to the fire
As Martín fought to recover physically, his future with Aprilia became just as uncertain. In May, he publicly announced his intention to leave the team at the end of 2025, citing a clause in his contract that would allow him to walk away after the French Grand Prix if he wasn’t in championship contention.
Aprilia countered, insisting he remained contracted through 2026. Speculation ran wild, but in true MotoGP fashion, the saga took another twist in July.
At the Czech Grand Prix, Martín confirmed he would, in fact, remain with Aprilia for 2026. In a Thursday press conference ahead of his racing return, he said he was “ready to get back on track” and “focused on the future.” With his contract situation settled, attention finally turned back to racing.
Back on the bike in Brno
Martín’s comeback came at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno, where he got a full race weekend under his belt for the first time since 2024.
He showed promising pace in Practice – taking the fifth-fastest time – but a tricky Qualifying saw him line up 12th on the grid.
He finished 11th in the Sprint and improved to 7th in Sunday’s Grand Prix, an encouraging result considering everything that had unfolded earlier in the season.
It wasn’t the dream return, but it was the first crucial step forward in a much longer journey. Patience would be required.
What needs to improve?
With so many rounds missed, there’s no chance of Martín regaining a top spot in this year’s standings. For the rest of the season, his focus will undoubtedly be on laying the best groundwork possible for a title tilt in 2026.
Consistency is key
The time Jorge has lost in 2025 is not insignificant. If he is to truly return to his title-winning form of 12 months ago, notching lap after lap aboard the Aprilia is vital.
Time and time alone will get him back to the front of the grid, so consistent running weekend in, weekend out must be the goal.
Better synergy with the Aprilia
Even before his injuries, Martín’s relationship with Aprilia and the RS-GP looked rocky. If he can improve the balance with bike setup and his relationship with the team can be mended after the contract disruption, there might yet be a light at the end of the tunnel for the partnership.
Mental fortitude
Returning from multiple injuries and enduring public contract wrangles would rattle even the most seasoned rider. It has taken some time for current points leader Marc Marquez to return to the all-conquering form of his Honda heyday, so mental resilience will be tested in the back half of Jorge’s season, there’s no doubt of that. But if anyone can rise to the challenge, the reigning world champion stands a pretty good shot.
Eyes on the podium
With the physical recovery behind him and his future finally secure, Jorge Martín can now focus on what he does best. The title may be out of reach in 2025, but there’s still plenty to prove for the #1 rider in the races to come.
