-
Aprilia Racing’s Jorge Martin in action during the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar on April 13, 2025.
Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin announced his intention to leave Aprilia ahead of the 2026 season today, even as the Italian manufacturer expects the Spaniard to honour the two-year deal he signed when he joined.
“Faced with the situation of having to make a decision on a date that is established by contract, I have decided to exercise my right to release myself for the 2026 season,” Martin said in a statement.
Martin, who won his first MotoGP title last season with Pramac Racing, switched to Aprilia on a two-year deal, but the 27-year-old has had a nightmare start to the season, having yet to score a point after six rounds.
Wrist and ankle injuries sustained in a pre-season testing crash prevented him from competing in the first three rounds before a crash in his first race in Qatar led to a collapsed lung and bruised ribs that kept him off the bike for weeks.
