Jorge Martin, the former MotoGP champion, revealed that he feels he is about “six-tenths of a second” away from winning a race with the factory Aprilia team. His debut season with Aprilia was challenging, marred by four major injuries that restricted him to only seven races out of the 22. Martin’s best finish was fourth place at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August, but his progress was halted by a broken shoulder sustained in a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix. He made a comeback for the final race in Valencia and participated in testing, which helped him gain a clearer understanding of the RS-GP bike’s limits and what improvements are needed.
Martin confirmed that he is physically okay, emphasizing the importance of recovering without pain, though he still experiences discomfort in his ribs, back, collarbone, and shoulders when riding. Despite the pain, maintaining a lap pace of about 1 minute 30 seconds exceeded his expectations. He believes that winning is within reach, estimating the gap at about half a second and acknowledging that better understanding the bike and reaching full physical condition will allow him to take more risks.
Reflecting on the 2025 season after the final race in Valencia, Martin admitted a key lesson was learning not to push beyond what was necessary. He admitted that at times he pushed too hard due to unfamiliarity with the bike, which led to crashes. Although he did not finish in the top 10 or win in Valencia, he focused on doing what was necessary and plans to build on that mindset moving forward.
Fan Take: Racing enthusiasts should keep an eye on Martin as his recovery and growing familiarity with the Aprilia RS-GP could soon make him a serious contender. His experience and lessons learned this tough season promise a thrilling development in MotoGP competition, pushing both rider and machine to new limits.
