Jorge Martin draws line under contract turmoil: “Friday is a new day”
After months of injury and off-track drama, Jorge Martin says he’s ready to turn the page and focus on racing again, starting with Friday practice at the Brno MotoGP.
After one of the most turbulent half-seasons ever endured by a reigning MotoGP champion, with multiple injuries combined with the threat of legal action, Jorge Martin is ready to shift his focus to the racetrack from Friday morning at Brno.
During a solo press conference on Thursday, Martin announced that he will honour his two-year contract and stay with Aprilia for 2026.
Now, as he prepares to start just his second grand prix of the season, Martin says it’s time to move on.
“I’m really looking forward to going to bed,” he told MotoGP.com on Thursday evening. “Tomorrow is a new day!”
Martin's return follows months of recovery from a string of serious injuries, plus a public contract standoff with his new team.
Aprilia held firm, forcing Martin to back down from his threat to quit via a contested ‘performance clause’.
“It was important to get my future clear before I came back to MotoGP,” Martin explained.
“Even if I didn't want to do that press conference [confirming his future], I think it's important to get in front of the problems. That's what I learned since I was young.”
Martin’s chaotic year began with a brutal crash during February’s Sepang test, then a training accident ahead of the Thai GP, followed by a race-ending fall in his eventual comeback at Qatar.
That accident, directly in front of Fabio di Giannantonio, left Martin with 11 rib fractures and a collapsed lung.
“The first two weeks in Qatar were terrible. It was a nightmare,” he said. “But then I started to walk again. Then train. It was a big process. And now I’m happy. Everything’s closed. I’m looking forward to getting on track.”
Martin returned to MotoGP action during a private test at Misano last week, completing over 60 laps on the RS-GP and laying the groundwork for his long-awaited second round of the year at Brno.
“I remember Daniele, my crew chief, telling me I was going to make 40 laps. I said no way - I will make much more. I felt strong. It’s not a problem if we do 70-80 laps,” he said.
“We did a great job. The target is to keep working on my position on the bike. We need to understand where we are. We need to make kilometres. But anyway, I’m here to compete and give my best.”
In this article
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.
