Martin pushing to exit Aprilia contract early

Jorge Martin intends to leave Aprilia at the end of this season, invoking a clause in his contract that releases him from the second year in 2026 if he is not among the top riders in the world championship standings after the French Grand Prix, Autosport has learned.

The agreement signed by Aprilia and the reigning world champion last year at the Italian GP currently holds no binding effect for the second season. Autosport understands that in the version accepted by Aprilia, Martin’s representatives included a clause granting him full freedom to accept offers from other teams if he was not among the title contenders after last Sunday’s French GP at Le Mans.

The numerous injuries that have plagued Martin since his championship win – preventing him from participating in five of the six rounds so far this season – have left the Spaniard without a single point, placing him at the bottom of the overall standings.

This scenario, having been almost impossible to foresee when Martin and Aprilia shook hands in early June last year, could trigger an unexpected shake-up in the rider market.

However, Aprilia has no intention of standing by while the centrepiece of its MotoGP project departs without having had the chance to properly compete.

Two pre-season injuries sidelined Martin from the first three rounds in Thailand, Argentina and Austin, and he returned in Qatar, still not fully recovered, only to suffer a serious injury that resulted in nearly two weeks of hospital treatment in Doha due to a pneumothorax. While a return to action date hasn’t been set yet, it seems unlikely he will be fit to return before the German GP, the 11th round, scheduled for 11-13 July.

However, the current contract situation of most riders limits Martin’s potential options. The most logical would be Honda, considering that Luca Marini’s contract with the Japanese team ends this season. But Honda has no intention of making any move until Martin resolves his ongoing conflict with Aprilia and is officially free.

Martin opens negotiations with Aprilia

Autosport has learned that Martin was in Le Mans on Friday, having driven there from his home in Andorra. He kept a low profile and did not visit the circuit to avoid drawing attention, but held several meetings, including one where he informed the Aprilia management of his intention to activate the release clause for 2026.

Unsurprisingly, the news has shocked the leadership at the Noale-based company, which is now considering legal action for breach of contract if Martin leaves.

However, out of respect for Aprilia, Martin is reportedly willing to extend the evaluation period up until the San Marino GP on 12-14 September.

Aprilia believes it has legal grounds to block the rider’s exit, arguing that the clause should not apply due to his injury-related absence, and that there is no obligation to extend the trial period.

Martin has closely followed the performance of other Aprilia riders and feels that the RS-GP is not living up to the expectations set when the manufacturer convinced him to join.

His team-mate Marco Bezzecchi has yet to reach the podium this season, and the top Aprilia rider in the standings is MotoGP rookie Ai Ogura, racing for Trackhouse, who currently sits in 10th place in the riders’ championship.