Jorge Martin confirms stay at Aprilia for 2026 MotoGP

Jorge Martin has decided to remain with Aprilia for the 2026 MotoGP season ending the recent contract row.

After months of speculation and a public contract dispute, the reigning MotoGP World Champion has reportedly decided to honor his existing two-year deal with the Italian manufacturer, effectively shelving his earlier ambitions to become a free agent and explore opportunities with other teams such as Honda.

The background to this decision is rooted in Martin’s challenging 2025 season which has been marred by multiple injuries. The Spanish rider suffered significant wrist and ankle injuries during pre-season testing, followed by a crash in Qatar that resulted in a collapsed lung and bruised ribs.

These injuries sidelined him for most of the season, limiting him to just one race start and preventing him from fully testing and understanding the Aprilia RS-GP bike under race conditions.

Martin’s contract included a results-based release clause allowing him to leave Aprilia if he was not performing at a certain level by mid-season, a clause the rider initially sought to invoke due to his inability to compete effectively because of his injuries.

However, Aprilia contested the validity of this clause arguing that his injuries and lack of race participation invalidated the performance criteria required to trigger the release.

The dispute escalated to the point where his team was prepared to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and MotoGP promoter Dorna’s CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta warned that Martin would not be allowed to race in 2026 without resolving the contractual issues.

This legal standoff put Martin’s future in the premier class in jeopardy and created uncertainty around the 2026 MotoGP grid.

However, Martin’s stance appears to have softened after a private test at Misano arranged under a new rule allowing injured riders to test for fitness recovery. The 27-year old completed 64 laps on the RS-GP25 and showed promising signs of readiness for a racing return.

The test, described as an ‘exquisite’ display of professionalism by both Jorge Martin and Aprilia, helped rebuild trust and demonstrated that the working relationship between rider and team could continue productively.

Aprilia’s factory rider Marco Bezzecchi’s recent race win at Silverstone further reinforced the competitiveness of the Aprilia bike, sending a positive message to Martin about the team’s potential.

“I’m really happy to be here again,“ Jorge Martin told reporters at Brno ahead of this weekend’s Czech Grand Prix. “It was a really difficult 6 or 7 months suffering a lot with a lot of injuries but I’m happy to be here and to be back in MotoGP.

“Finally, I’m happy to say that I’ll continue with Aprilia for 2026. It wasn’t an easy road this year, but they believed in me through it all. Now that my future is clear, I can fully focus on getting back to the top.”

Martin’s camp had reportedly considered escalating the dispute legally but ultimately decided against it, wary of the prolonged and potentially damaging consequences such a battle could have on his career.

The rider’s agent, Albert Valera, initially expressed Martin’s ambition to explore other options, but the recent developments indicate a strategic decision to maintain stability and focus on recovery and performance with Aprilia.

“I don’t regret anything,” Martin said when asked if he’d do anything differently. “I think everything I did during these few months was what I thought was the best for my future and for me.

“I think nobody can understand when you are in the hospital with 12 broken ribs and you cannot sleep for a week, nobody can understand what is running through my mind.

”So, everything I did was because I thought it was the better thing for my future. And that’s the same that I do now, to decide to stay here.”

Jorge Martin is expected to return to competitive racing at Brno MotoGP marking his second race appearance of the season.

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