
Why Jorge Martin's recent statement raises more questions than it answers
13 June 2025Why Jorge Martin’s recent statement raises more questions than it answers
With 12 riders either swapping teams or moving up to MotoGP for 2025, the 2024 MotoGP rider market was one of the sport’s most chaotic in recent history. However, the announcement that double World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu will be joining the MotoGP paddock for 2026 has proved that whilst fewer seats are available for the 2026 season, the 2025 rider market certainly isn’t without drama.
Adding to this drama, are the whisperings that current MotoGP World Champion, Jorge Martin, was looking to leave his contract with Aprilia Racing at the end of 2025 - rumours that became so widely spoken of, that Aprilia issued a written statement on the matter, denying that negotiations were taking place to modify Martin’s contract length. At the core of the rumours surrounding Martin’s intentions, was a supposed exit clause that would allow Martin to terminate his contract with Aprilia if certain circumstances weren’t met during the 2025 season. One key voice was missing from this discussion though - Jorge Martin himself, who has been absent from the paddock as he continues recovering from injuries sustained during the Grand Prix of Qatar in April.
That was until Martin took to Instagram recently to reveal that there is in fact some truth to the rumours, and he is looking to activate an exit clause in his Aprilia contract, which would leave him available to other teams for the 2026 season. Whilst at first glance, it may appear that Martin’s statement provides us with clarity regarding his situation, the confirmation that he’s looking at ending his current contract early actually raises far more questions than it answers, and here’s why:
Could Aprilia contest the activation of the exit clause, given Martin’s circumstances?
Exit clauses aren’t uncommon in MotoGP - they often occur in contracts to ensure that riders and teams have flexibility if results are not what was previously expected. The idea that such a clause exists in the contract between Martin and Aprilia isn’t a surprise, but Martin’s activation of it has caught many off-guard. Although the details of the contract are unknown to the public, it is speculated that the “certain circumstances” that are required to be met involve Martin being high enough in the Championship standings at a particular point in the 2025 season. If this is the case, there is speculation surrounding the legitimacy and fairness of Martin activating the exit clause in this manner.
As stated previously, Martin has been away from the paddock to focus on recovering from the injuries he sustained during the Grand Prix of Qatar - injuries so severe that he likely won’t be back racing until July at the earliest. This break from racing is enough to impact any rider’s fight for the title, but unfortunately it’s not the only time Martin has needed to recover from injuries this season. In fact, a crash during pre-season testing ruled him out of the first three rounds in 2025, meaning Jorge Martin has only participated in one out of eight race weekends this season.
As Martin’s season thus far has been so heavily impacted by injuries, nobody would be expecting Martin to be anywhere near the title fight at this point in the season. Is it therefore possible that Aprilia could challenge the activation of an exit clause if Championship position is the determining factor, given the unique circumstances around Martin’s 2025 season?
How has Martin come to this decision, given the little time he’s spent on the bike?
Martin’s statement was met with very mixed reactions from inside and outside of the MotoGP paddock, and the same question has often popped up during discussions on the matter - has Martin truly spent enough time on the bike to justify this decision? Whilst he will have been able to look at data from his teammate Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia test/stand-in rider Lorenzo Savadori, there is no substitute for getting on the bike yourself and seeing how it performs and feels. Given his injuries and the necessary recovery periods, surely he can’t have spent enough time on the bike to understand its pros and cons for his riding style? Could this decision be less about Aprilia’s data and performance, and instead be based more on the results and perceived improvements of other manufacturers?

Should Aprilia still be trying to keep hold of Martin?
The word ‘loyalty’ is often thrown around in sport when it comes to athletes and their contracts, but its importance can’t be underestimated for team relationships and morale. Riders spend the year working with and travelling with their teams, and an immense amount of trust is required from everyone involved, particularly given how dangerous the sport is. Brand image is incredibly important for riders, but especially for teams. By Martin making his intentions public, I wouldn’t blame Aprilia for feeling slightly humiliated. After all, some are perceiving the statement to be acting not just as an attempt at providing clarity, but also an invitation for other manufacturers to start making him offers. Will the releasing of this statement have swayed Aprilia’s opinion on whether or not to try and retain the current World Champion?
Is it too early to be thinking about the 2027 regulation changes?
MotoGP’s new regulations come into effect in 2027, with a reduction in engine size from 1000cc to 800cc, and a ban on ride-height devices making up some of these changes. With an engine freeze approved for the 2026 season (other than for concession rank D manufacturers), there will still be plenty of opportunity for manufacturers to test and improve other aspects of their bikes’ performance before the new regulations begin. Given the length of time before these changes, is it too early to be viewing a manufacturer’s progress as them being a definite good or bad pick in the long term?
Where could Martin be looking, and who could be looking at Aprilia?
Considering the news of Razgatlıoğlu’s signing, and if contracts are to be believed, there are now only four available seats available to Martin for the 2026 season, should he leave Aprilia at the end of 2025: Franco Morbidelli’s seat at Pertamina Enduro VR46 MotoGP Team, Luca Marini’s seat at Honda HRC Castrol, and both LCR Honda seats, currently filled by Somkiat Chantra and Johann Zarco.
Honda is the most talked about and most obvious pick for where Martin will be hoping to sit in 2026, given they are the only team with an available Factory seat, which is surely what the current World Champion would be expecting. There is however some competition for this seat - Johann Zarco’s strong performances in recent races have definitely upped his chances of being promoted to the Factory team, and Marini’s technical knowledge and understanding means he could still be the best pick for that seat, given the further development Honda will want to do with the new regulations approaching.
In terms of who will now be looking to fill this potentially available seat at Aprilia Racing - it’s fair to say that any of the riders who are currently without a 2026 contract would probably be considering it. However as Martin’s announcement shows, and as we’ve seen happen in previous seasons, it may be that other riders choose to leave their contracts early. Two riders to keep an eye on from this category are Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini - both currently tied to KTM until the new regulations come into play, but given KTM’s recent struggles, have not been seeing the results they were likely hoping for.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops over the coming months, particularly once Jorge Martin is back for (hopefully) the rest of the 2025 season. For now though, the next steps seem to be learning whether Aprilia believes Martin’s exit clause can be activated under these circumstances, and waiting for news regarding the futures of other riders in the paddock. All this to say, if you’re a Jorge Martin fan, I’d maybe hold off from purchasing any Aprilia merch for now.
