After a tough start to 2025 for reigning Champion Jorge Martin that has seen him miss most of the first half of his debut season with Aprilia Racing, a second story has emerged around the #1: his future.
Martin released a statement on social media a few weeks ago saying he was exercising a clause to leave his contract with Aprilia at the end of 2025. Aprilia have maintained that the contract is valid for 2025 and 2026. After some dormant days in the story, it was back in the limelight at Assen – first from Jorge Martin's manager, Albert Valera, who made some new statements on the situation.
"We can say that Jorge is free of contract for next year, for 2026,” said Valera. “It's pretty clear for us, he executes the clause that he has in the contract, we're just following the contract."
When asked if Martin was free to sign with another team or factory, Valera replied, “yes, he's completely open, available, we'll see what happens in the future but for sure again, he has a clause in the contract, he had the right to execute that clause and he did so."
Regarding where we would go – the key rumour being interest from Honda – Valera said: "For the moment we cannot talk about any third parties or first because maybe it's still not the right moment to talk and to understand other offers. The first thing we need to do is to make sure Jorge wants to execute that clause, he did it, he's announced it in a statement. We deeply believe that he's free, and from the moment that we defend Jorge's freedom, we're able to talk to other manufacturers. You asked me about Honda, it's an option as well for next year."
Honda, then, were asked for their side. Honda HRC Castrol team boss Alberto Puig joined the motogp.com live broadcast of Warm Up in Assen to speak to pitlane reporter Jack Appleyard.
“I’ll tell you what I told you last week and the previous one. We haven’t signed a contract. […] The situation between riders and teams - or a manufacturer - is something strictly direct. Of course when we say that, Martin is an option, it’s an option for us and everybody. Because maybe if he is out of contract, he can choose whatever brand. But for now, we didn’t make any moves because […] we didn’t check yet the situation. But normally we talk to riders. So when the time comes, if it comes, we will see but for now I can only tell you that there’s nothing and nothing more to say.”
That said, when asked about a deadline, Puig did go on. “Frankly speaking there’s no deadline. We need to be sure what to do and at this moment we don’t know, because we need to understand what’s the rider’s situation. […] We can wait. I mean, frankly speaking, the story is a matter between Aprilia and Jorge. It must be clear. If he gets out of the contract, then we will understand. And that’s all I can tell you. We are not in a super hurry. We will see what is the final resolution there.”
Some clarity was added on Sunday by MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta explaining that the Selection Committee – which is the final box tick on nominated riders for teams – can't accept a team nominating a rider who’s contracted to a different team unless all parties in the dispute have agreed a resolution.
On Sunday morning after the Warm Up, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola then did a media scrum for press on site. The key message remained exactly the same: the factory has a contract with Jorge Martin for 2025 and 2026. Here are some of the best quotes from Rivola – and you can watch the entire debrief below.
“We were not planning to say anything, but, we saw the statement of, Valera and we saw the statement of Carmelo. I didn't see the statement of […] Alberto (Puig) but, the one that I got a few months ago was that Honda will never take a rider under contract or that is not totally free. So maybe he said that, the same. I don't know – you tell me. And, and as we said yesterday, the position is the same.”
That position? “I mean, for us the rider is under contract with us. And as Carmelo said today, if a rider is contracted with us or, there would be any kind of dispute – so not free from Aprilia – they cannot go anywhere.”
So what happens next with Aprilia and Jorge Martin? The Aprilia Racing CEO sees it clearly: “There are only two options. Either we find an agreement and we need to sit down and speak, seriously. Or we go to court. We are ready to do both.”