The true key to MotoGP rider market identified - it’s not Jorge Martin

The real key cog in the MotoGP rider market is not Jorge Martin, a seasoned negotiator from inside the paddock claims.

MotoGP champion Martin wants to quit Aprilia despite an injury-riddled season so far which has meant he has only represented his manufacturer in one grand prix.

But questions surrounding whether Martin can free himself from his Aprilia deal, and where he might go, are secondary compared to the situation elsewhere, Carlo Pernat insists.

“It will not be the Martìn case that will make the market,” the experienced rider manager told MOW Mag.

“It will be the whole KTM affair. Only when the future of KTM is understood will it be possible to really talk about the market, because the whole grid could really revolutionise.

“If KTM stays in MotoGP with four bikes in 2026, very little will change, but if, as it seems, KTM stays with two bikes and Tech3 ends up with Honda, then it will be a great dance of saddles and seats.

“Herve Poncharal, as far as I know, is a bit fed up after so many years and has important investors interested in his team, but his two riders, Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini, still have a direct contract with KTM just like the factory riders Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder.

“You understand that in this scenario KTM will make the market, because everything will depend on what happens there.”

Acosta is the jewel in KTM’s crown and he has been heavily linked with a move elsewhere.

Honda’s factory team and the VR46 Ducati squad have been named as interested parties in Acosta.

But he is tied into a deal with KTM which lasts until the end of 2026, and Spanish media insist he will stay put next year.

That is despite Acosta warning KTM he will not have patience in his quest to become a MotoGP champion.

Tech3 intend on remaining within the KTM stable but the manufacturer’s non-racing money woes have created a rumour mill.

The fallout from that could result in some coveted riders becoming unexpectedly available, Pernat believes.