Jorge Martin Aprilia U-turn? Intriguing scenario spotted by contract veteran

Despite the public rift between Aprilia and Jorge Martin’s camp, a veteran MotoGP manager believes the two sides could still reunite for the 2026 season.

Jorge Martin has struggled with multiple injuries this season. But off the track, he's also dealing with a contract dispute with Aprilia.

Martin joined Aprilia as the reigning MotoGP champion, signing a two-year contract valid through 2026. However, there’s reportedly an ‘exit clause’ that Martin and his manager, Albert Valera, are exploring in hopes of ending the deal a year early.

The dispute has become public, with Martin stating he wants to leave Aprilia at the end of this season. His manager claims the Spaniard will be a free agent for 2026. Aprilia, however, has stood firm, insisting the contract remains valid through 2026—and they’re even prepared to take legal action.

Veteran MotoGP manager Carlo Pernat believes Aprilia made a critical mistake by including a performance clause that is now being used against them.

“Aprilia ran too fast to make that contract and, in hindsight, that clause from which everything stems should not have been accepted,” Pernat said in an interview to MOW Magazine.

“At the time, Martín’s only options were Aprilia—or maybe uncompetitive bikes like the Honda or Yamaha, or no seat at all.

“But that’s how it went. And now, Aprilia are standing their ground with integrity. Meanwhile, Valera—who’s a friend of mine—might have gone a bit too far with some of his recent statements, both in timing and tone.

“We'll see how it ends, nothing is taken for granted.”

Scenario identified where Jorge Martin stays at Aprilia

Martin missed pre-season testing and the early rounds after injuries during the Sepang test and a subsequent Supermoto crash ahead of the Thai Grand Prix. His only MotoGP appearance so far this year was in Qatar, where he finished 16th in the Sprint before crashing in the Grand Prix. He suffered another injury that has sidelined him ever since.

His comeback is now imminent. A private RS-GP test is scheduled at Misano on July 9, thanks to a new rule allowing injured riders special testing. If the session goes well, Martin is targeting a return at next weekend’s Czech Grand Prix in Brno.

Pernat believes Aprilia shouldn’t hold onto Martin if the rider is no longer motivated to stay—but he also thinks this story isn’t over. Especially if he finds renewed confidence aboard the RS-GP—a bike that has already won a race this season with Marco Bezzecchi at Silverstone.

“It is useless to forcibly hold back a rider who does not want to be with you, but we cannot forget that Martìn in recent months has been in a vortex of frustration and suffering,” Pernat added.

“If by chance he gets back on the bike at Brno, and maybe he immediately feels good and finds the life of a rider that he misses, it's okay that he puts everything behind him and accepts that hug that Aprilia is continuing to offer him despite everything.

“If this is not the case, it is more than likely that he will have to somehow ‘compensate’ Aprilia. But we'll see, because in my opinion nothing is really said yet.”