Aprilia silent amid shock Jorge Martin 'exit clause' report
Is injured MotoGP champion Jorge Martin considering an early exit from Aprilia?
Aprilia is not commenting on shock news that injured MotoGP champion Jorge Martin might exercise an option in his contract to leave at the end of this season, halfway through a two-year deal.
The report, by Motorsport.com, explains that Martin 'intends to leave Aprilia at the end of this season, invoking a clause in his contract that releases him from his second year if he does not finish among the top finishers in the World Championship after the French GP.'
The fact that Martin has missed all but one round so far, due to multiple injuries, presumably does not render that clause redundant.
Aprilia told Crash.net they have ‘no comment’ on the report.
Meanwhile, AS.com adds that Martin will ‘give [Aprilia] six races from his return to convince him not to exercise that clause and stay with them in 2026’.
Martin’s pre-season wrist and ankle injuries forced him to miss all but the first hours of the Sepang test and the opening three rounds.
His Aprilia grand prix debut in Qatar then ended in disaster when he fell and was clipped by Fabio di Giannantonio in the race, suffering eleven rib fractures and lung injuries.
But a “very encouraging” assessment was given following scans on his eventual return to Europe, with MotoGP Medical Director Ángel Charte saying:
“Martin has perfect lungs… Moreover, of the theoretically 11 fractures he had, 3 remain: the seventh, the eighth and the eleventh, which already show the ongoing progression of the callus.”
No potential return date has been given, although recent changes to the MotoGP rules mean that Aprilia can now grant Martin a private test.
Aside from the lost pre-season time, Martin’s injuries mean he has completed just 69.940km of racing laps, plus 301.280km in practice.
That compares with over 680km of race laps for Fabio di Giannantonio and over 2000km of practice laps for Martin’s team-mate Marco Bezzecchi.
Aprilia’s best results this season were fourth (Sprint) and fifth (Grand Prix) in the Buriram season opener, with Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura.
Ogura remains their top rider in the world championship, in tenth, while Aprilia has now slipped to fifth and last in the constructors’ standings.
It is unclear what alternatives Martin might be considering for 2026, with the only factory team seat potentially available being Luca Marini’s Honda ride.
Of the Independent teams, Martin’s former Pramac squad and VR46 Ducati each have one seat still to be confirmed.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
