The crucial Jorge Martin Aprilia MotoGP test was held at Misano and the reigning world champion is set to make his much-awaited return to racing at the Czech GP in Brno.
The test marks a pivotal moment not only in Martin’s career but also in the ongoing narrative of the 2025 MotoGP season as the Spanish rider prepares for his official comeback next week at the Czech Grand Prix.
After clinching the MotoGP World Championship in 2024 with Prima Pramac, Jorge Martin’s transition to Aprilia Racing for the 2025 season was heralded as a new era for both the rider and the team.
However, the promise of a triumphant start was quickly overshadowed by a series of injuries that sidelined Martin for the majority of the first half of the season.
Pre-season testing incidents left the 27-year old rider with severe wrist injuries, causing him to miss the opening rounds in Thailand, Argentina, and the Americas.
The setbacks did not end there; Martin’s return at the Qatar MotoGP was abruptly halted by a dramatic crash that resulted in multiple rib fractures and a pneumothorax, necessitating hospitalization and an extended period of recovery.
The Noale-based manufacturer had invested heavily in both technical development and team dynamics, viewing Martin as the cornerstone of their title ambitions. His absence from the first eleven rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season, participating in only the Qatar GP, left a void in the competition.
Despite the setbacks, Martin’s determination to return to competitive form never wavered. The road to recovery was meticulously planned, involving medical rehabilitation and a carefully structured program to regain physical fitness and reacquaint himself with the demands of MotoGP machinery.
After being cleared for light training, Martin took to the track at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on a superbike, a move designed to test his endurance and adaptability before making the leap back onto the Aprilia RS-GP25.
Jorge Martin Aprilia MotoGP test at Misano represented the culmination of this rehabilitation process. Organized under a new regulation advocated by Aprilia which allows riders who have missed three or more races due to injury to conduct a private test, the session was both a technical and psychological milestone.
Martin completed 64 laps over the course of the day with 29 in the morning and 35 in the afternoon, using three sets of tires in accordance with the revised rules for returning riders.
The primary objective was to assess Martin’s physical condition, reacquaint him with the RS-GP25 after months of inactivity, and evaluate the ergonomics and handling of the bike given his limited track time with Aprilia’s latest prototype.
Aprilia Racing’s technical staff closely monitored every aspect of the test gathering data on Martin’s performance, feedback, and physiological response.
The team’s focus was not on outright lap times but on ensuring that Martin could complete sustained runs without discomfort or risk of aggravating his injuries.
The successful completion of the test, without any reported issues, was a testament to both Martin’s resilience and the medical team’s careful management of his recovery.
“Being able to ride a MotoGP bike, having recovered, and being here riding again weighs much more than anything else that’s happened,” Martin said after the test.
“Being back on track with the race bike after everything that happened, and more than twenty fractures makes me very happy. I can only say that I’m very happy.”
The positive outcome also paved the way for Martin’s planned return at the Czech GP in Brno, contingent on passing the final medical check at the circuit.
“The plan is to return to Brno,” he added. “Now I have a week to train normally and prepare for this race. I’m going to work hard physically and on the bike to arrive well prepared.
“It’s a track I haven’t been to in years, and there’s a bit of uncertainty, so maybe we can do well.”
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