Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin has announced he will be leaving Aprilia without having finished a race for the team.
The Spaniard won the 2024 championship with Pramac Ducati before being forced to switch to a new team where two serious crashes have taken him out of action.
Martin only made one Grand Prix appearance in Qatar but crashed out and injured himself furtherGetty SkyThe Madrid native slid along the spiky rumble strips and damaged his ribs and lung[/caption]Martin first crashed heavily in pre-season testing in Malaysia and broke his hand, taking him out of the first three races of the year.
He then returned for race four in Qatar, but in lap 14 of Sunday’s race a massive fall left him with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
Rumours were rife that their partnership could come to an early end, and Martin has now confirmed it in a statement.
“At no time have I ever breached the contract,” he said. “When we signed it, I agreed with Aprilia that, if certain circumstances were not met, I reserved the right to decide my future for 2026.
“This was an essential condition for me to accept the contract proposal they offered me at that time.
“When I made the decision to change manufacturers last year, one of my premises was to have the possibility to test the bike in real circumstances and to understand the team and its working methodology.
“In this way I could feel comfortable signing for two years instead of one, and so we included that condition.
“Faced with the situation of having to make a decision on a date that is established by contract, I have decided to exercise my right to release myself for the 2026 season.”
It’s understood that earlier this season rival teams successfully protested Martin being given a private test to learn the bike after his pre-season crash.
The 27-year-old made history in 2024 as the first champion of the MotoGP era to win outside of a factory team.
Martin was the story of 2024 but has only been seen for 14 laps this seasonAFPSenior squad Ducati were heavily rumoured to bring him up to the main squad from Pramac Ducati for 2025, but the form of six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez ended that plan.
Marquez had already left lifelong team Honda in a shock switch and spent 2024 with another Ducati satellite team where recorded his first wins after two brutal injury-hit years.
That convinced Ducati to bring him up to the main squad, ending Martin’s hopes with their other rider, two-time champion Pecco Bagnaia already signed.
Martin is now set for a new team in 2026, with his 2025 return date unknown due to his injuries.
He added: “I have always been honest with Aprilia, I have always valued the bike, the team and the effort of all the people who are part of the project.
“The only thing I ask is that my will and the spirit of what we agreed at the time with Aprilia be respected.
“There is no conflict or reproach. I just want to be able to look ahead with clarity, after very difficult times and a very serious injury, and to continue to give the best of myself on and off the track.”
With Martin out of the picture, the man who took his Ducati seat – Marquez – is leading the championship by 24 points from his younger brother Alex.
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