The timing of ’s first MotoGP victory as an Aprilia rider on the French Grand Prix may hardly have been extra symbolic.
It was precisely a 12 months in the past at Le Mans that Martin and his supervisor Albert Valera shocked the Aprilia administration by informing them of their intention to exit the contract on the finish of 2025, prone to be a part of Honda.
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The Noale manufacturing facility had gone to nice lengths to poach the Spaniard in the summertime of 2024, when he was nonetheless preventing for the world title aboard the Pramac Ducati. His eventual championship success in opposition to the manufacturing facility bike of solely raised his inventory and heightened expectations surrounding his transfer to Aprilia.
However their partnership bought off to a wretched begin when he injured himself twice in pre-season – first throughout the Sepang take a look at after which whereas coaching for the opening spherical. If that, and a 3rd harm within the Qatar GP wasn’t sufficient, Martin tried to extricate himself from his two-year Aprilia contract in early 2025 whereas nonetheless working in the direction of gaining full health.
Aprilia had invested closely in Martin to steer the challenge, and the latter’s tried exit didn’t go down effectively with the crew – or the broader paddock. The 2024 champion needed to make use of a performance-related clause in his contract to depart Aprilia after one season, however that transfer garnered criticism as he had but to complete a race by that time.
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Additional, his team-mate – who additionally had joined the manufacturing facility crew from Ducati’s satellite tv for pc construction – had additionally proved by that time that the 2025-spec RS-GP was a succesful bike.
The saga dragged on for a number of months, earlier than Martin and Aprilia ultimately agreed to honour the rest of their contract.
Tensions remained within the storage later within the season, when Martin was starting to regain his kind however wasn’t fairly capable of get the perfect out of the bike. This coincided with a sudden upturn in Aprilia’s kind, with Bezzecchi successful a number of races in the direction of the top of the 12 months. A fourth large accident at Motegi didn’t assist issues for Martin.
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Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Staff
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Staff
Heading into 2026, it was already clear that Bezzecchi can be the brand new primary rider at Ducati, significantly with Martin signing a contract with Yamaha for the beginning of the 850cc period in 2027.
Nevertheless, the 28-year-old appeared revitalised the day he stepped on the bike within the Thailand take a look at, although he missed essential working in Sepang to get better from two extra operations within the low season.
His good dash win at Austin in March already hinted at what was to come back, however the French GP weekend marked his most conclusive efficiency but. Not solely did he bag yet one more Saturday win, he additionally outgunned Bezzecchi within the grand prix to say a landmark outcome for each himself and Aprilia.
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Even Rivola couldn’t management his feelings as he recalled the 2025 contract saga – unprompted – whereas requested about Aprilia’s historic podium lockout at Le Mans.
“I’m nonetheless fascinated by final 12 months at Le Mans right here, when Jorge needed to depart and I mentioned, ‘no, I feel you possibly can win with us’. So successful at Le Mans [this year] is sort of particular to me,” he mentioned throughout the official broadcast.
The outcome additionally leaves Martin only one level behind championship chief Bezzecchi heading into subsequent weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix. Whereas Martin might not characterize Aprilia’s long-term future in MotoGP, he may nonetheless find yourself delivering the producer its first premier-class world title.
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