If Jorge Martín does not extend his contract, Aprilia already has "plans B and C".

World champion in 2024, the Madrid native took his number 1 jersey with him to Aprilia, after starting his career and achieving his ultimate goal with Ducati. This anticipated transfer ultimately fell flat, as Jorge Martín was hampered by numerous injuries and wanted to leave his new team earlier than expected. While he will remain with the team for the 2026 season, the emergence of Marco Bezzecchi, third in the 2025 championship and now the leader of Aprilia, makes Martín a less valuable asset to retain. Although Massimo Rivola's team was very proactive in trying to keep Martín and see him fulfill his contract last year, preparations have already begun to potentially prepare for his departure at the end of the year.

"Aprilia never sleeps! We have plans B, C, and even D!", he explained to the official website of the MotoGP during the recent Sepang tests. "It's still a bit too early; the priority was to confirm Marco, and that's done. If we show that we're capable of designing fast motorcycles, we might be able to move on to plan B, rather than plan Z!"

Marco Bezzecchi has indeed signed a new two-year contract with Aprilia, having only ever ridden for Ducati in the premier class before joining in 2025. Having been able to confirm their number 1 rider even before the start of the current championship allows Aprilia to look with more calm and serenity at the rest of a transfer market that could quickly become hectic given the most persistent rumors.

“Marco was our priority, so it’s great that we were able to confirm our number one choice. He deserves it; he’s shown his commitment to the team and the brand—it’s a perfect match. As for the rest, it’s too early to say. The good news is that now that we’ve confirmed Marco, we have time to see where the transfer market stands. We haven’t yet been able to see the full extent of Jorge’s talent; I hope we can this year, but it’s too early to tell right now.”

"We need Martín at 100%"

Currently recovering from surgery this winter, Jorge Martín did not participate in the Sepang tests. The Spaniard still hopes to return for the first Grand Prix of the season in Thailand, and potentially also for the Buriram tests, which precede the first race of the year. For Massimo Rivola, the important thing is not to have Martín back as soon as possible, but above all to have him back when he is fully fit.

“We miss Jorge, that’s for sure. It’s something we can’t control, and clearly we want him back once he’s physically fit. I hope he can participate in the Buriram tests, but above all I hope he can be at 100% because we need him at 100%, something we didn’t have the privilege of having last year!”

2026, far from being a transition year

With the start of the 2026 season fast approaching, Rivola is pleased with Aprilia's progress on its 2026 machine. After closing the gap with Ducati last year, the goal is to continue improving the RS-GP, something that seems to have been achieved based on the first pre-season tests: “I’m pleased to see that the 2026 bike is better than the 2025. I had no doubt about that, though; I knew Noale would develop the machine well and that the riders would confirm that on the track. I’m satisfied, but there’s still work to be done.”

While 2026 is seen as a transition year before the new regulations come into effect in 2027, the performances seen during the Sepang tests prove, according to Massimo Rivola, that the teams have continued to invest fully, without abandoning the current project. Could Ducati's dominance be challenged? It's still too early to say, according to the Italian team principal…

“I think it’s a bit early to say, I’ve seen everyone take a step forward, Honda, KTM, Ducati as well… Several bikes have taken a step forward, so the 2026 season remains very interesting for everyone! Perhaps in the media, you thought that in the last year of the regulations, with frozen engines, nobody was going to worry about 2026, but everyone wants to win. It’s a good thing to see that the performances will be better than last year.”

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