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France 24
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- France 24
MotoGP world champion Martin seeks Aprilia exit
The Spaniard won the 2024 title on Ducati's satellite Pramac bike, but left the Italian manufacturer after being overlooked in favour of Marc Marquez for the factory ride. With his title defence wrecked by injury, he has only managed to compete in Qatar so far this season, he believes a clause in his contract allows him to walk away at the end of the year. The clause he refers to gives him the option to quit if, after round six at Le Mans, he was no longer in contention for the world championship. After seven rounds, he has yet to register a point and is 196 behind leader Marc Marquez, ruling out any possibility of retaining the title. Aprilia, according to reports, argue that because of his litany of injuries, this clause is invalid and the two-year contract stands. Martin took to social media to state his case. "At no point have I breached the contract. "When we signed it, I agreed with Aprilia that if certain conditions were not met, I would reserve the right to decide my future for 2026. This was an essential condition for me to accept the contract offer at that time. "Faced with the need to make a decision by a date set in the contract, I have chosen to exercise my right to be released for the 2026 season. I've always done so with respect, clarity, and the sole intention of taking control of my future as a professional athlete. "Unfortunately, the circumstances caused by the crashes - while they do not alter the agreement - have influenced this phase. That's why I've always been open to dialogue with Aprilia about extending this evaluation period to a certain number of grand prix races starting from my return." His statement concluded that he had always been honest with Aprilia. "All I ask is for my wishes and the spirit of what we agreed upon to be respected," he wrote. Martin has endured a calamitous 2025. He was first injured during pre-season testing in Sepang and had to undergo surgery at the beginning of February. He then suffered another crash which necessitated another operation on his left hand at the end of February, just before the opening round of the season in Thailand. The 27-year-old finally made his first appearance of the season in Qatar only to slide out shortly after the halfway mark at Lusail suffering a hemopneumothorax -- broken ribs, and blood and air in the space around his lungs. © 2025 AFP
Daily Tribune
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
MotoGP world champion Martin to make injury return in Qatar
Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin will return from injury this weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix after missing the first three races of the season, his Aprilia team said yesterday. The Spaniard broke his right hand and foot in a crash during the first day of pre-season testing in Malaysia in February. 'I have a great desire to be back on the track and I'm happy to at least be able to try and race in Qatar,' Martin said in an Aprilia statement. 'The goal will be to build up a bit of confidence with the RS-GP25 and to begin to turn some laps. 'I don't know how my physical fitness will be –- undoubtedly not 100 percent... 'Physically, I'm not even sure I'll be able to finish the race, but if we can manage, it will be a victory because that will mean that I'm beginning to recover.' The Qatar Grand Prix weekend gets under way at the Lusail circuit with practice sessions on Friday. Martin signed for Aprilia after edging out Francesco Bagnaia to win last season's world title while racing for Ducati satellite team Pramac. He will belatedly start his title defence 87 points behind early championship leader Alex Marquez. Gresini rider Marquez holds a onepoint lead i n the standings over his older brother and six-time world champion Marc Marquez, who has been revitalised this season, posting two race victories and three sprint wins.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Martin confirms MotoGP return from injury at Qatar GP
Motorsport photo The factory Aprilia team has confirmed that MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin will return from injury at this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. Martin, who has missed the first three weekends of the year following a pre-season Supermoto training accident, had already expressed his desire to return to action in Doha when he visited the paddock at the Americas GP last weekend. Now his comeback has been officially announced by Aprilia, the team to which he moved from Pramac for 2025. Advertisement Read Also: How advice from Marquez is helping Martin recover from injury Martin's participation for the full weekend will however be subject to medical assessments in Qatar – as well as his own feeling and pain levels. He will have to earn a clean bill of health before Free Practice 1 on Friday, which will be his first chance to ride his MotoGP bike since the training injury in February. He is then likely to undergo further assessments to confirm his fitness for the remainder of the event. The rider himself is aware that even if he can take part in the entire weekend at Losail, he should not expect too much in terms of performance. Advertisement 'I have a great desire to be back on the track and I'm happy to at least be able to try and race in Qatar,' said Martin. 'The goal will be to build up a bit of confidence with the RS-GP25 and to begin to turn some laps. 'I don't know how my physical fitness will be – undoubtedly not 100%. We'll try to do our best and to improve gradually. 'Physically, I'm not even sure I'll be able to finish the race, but if we can manage [to do so] it will be a victory because that will mean that I'm beginning to recover. We need to take one step at a time to try and get back to our normal level as soon as possible.' According to an Aprilia statement, Martin 'underwent surgery on 25 February and then followed an intense physical therapy programme with the goal of returning to the track as quickly as possible. 'Before taking to the track, the defending world champion will need to be assessed by the [MotoGP] medical delegation in order to be cleared to race.'
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dominant Ducati unleash deposed MotoGP kings Marquez and Bagnaia
As the lights go out to start the MotoGP season in Thailand on Saturday, the road seems clear for one of the sport's two deposed kings to reclaim their crown – if they do not get in each other's way. Marc Marquez, six times champion, has joined double champion Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia in the Ducati factory-team pit. The question is whether that high-octane mix will prove too combustible. "If you put two roosters in the same pen at 22 or 25 years old, it's bad. It's a bomb. But he's 27 and I'm 32," Marquez told Spanish television, in response to one in a string of chemistry questions he, Bagnaia and Ducati bosses have faced. Ducati, with eight bikes on the grid, dominated last season. They won 19 of 20 grand prix, and 17 of 20 sprints. Their misses all came in the first six races, when the other Italian marque, Aprilia, was briefly competitive. Bagnaia, on a Ducati factory bike, won 11 times on a Sunday, but missed a third straight title, by 10 points to Jorge Martin, also on a 2024 Ducati with Pramac, even though the Spaniard won just three main races. Marquez, healthy again after a long recovery from a crash in 2020, and competitive again on a Ducati with Gresini, won three races and finished third. Claudio Domenicali, Ducati's CEO, embraces his team's status as overwhelming favourites. "It is much better to start from a good base than start as an outsider," he said. Ducati decided, before the end of last season, to promote Marquez rather than Martin. Martin responded by signing for Aprilia this season. At the start of February, 13 laps into his first official test, Martin crashed, breaking bones in his right hand and left foot. He plans to race in Thailand after a short convalescence. Meanwhile, Ducati opted to stick with their 2024 engine. Under MotoGP rules designed to curb spending, they will also have to use it next season. "The 2024 bike is very difficult to improve," said Davide Tardozzi, Ducati's team coordinator. "We try hard but finally we didn't find what we thought." Team management has also been facing questions about their social engineering. "We try to be very close with the people, so friendship personal relation is like in a family," said Domenicali. "We are doing everything possible to set up an environment in which both of them feel welcome, both of them feel appreciated and both of them feel that we appreciate fair competition." The riders are toeing the red party line. "The title it has to be in red," said Marquez. "Doesn't matter if it is Pecco red or Marc red." "Pecco is a gentleman, he never raises his voice or anything. But then, on the track, he is the fighter. If he has to put the bike in, as he has to, he's going to put it in." - 'Beat all' - Bagnaia echoed the sentiments. "My objective is to beat all, and not just team," he said. "We are quite smart and intelligent to understand how important it is to have a good relationship and atmosphere inside the box and we will do it." Ducati's dance with Marquez and Martin was part of a particularly vigorous round of MotoGP's annual game of musical saddles. Financially-troubled KTM promoted rising star Pedro Acosta to the factory team. Three rookies join the grid. Fermin Aldeguer has taken the place of Marquez at Gresini. Thai rider Somkiat Chantra replaces retired Takaaki Nakagami at Honda. There will still be a Japanese rider on the grid as Moto2 world champion Ai Ogura replaces Miguel Oliveira at US team Trackhouse. The season is scheduled to extend to a record 22 races with the return of the Czech and Hungarian grand prix. The struggling Japanese marques Yamaha and Honda, will get help – allowed more engines, tyres and testing - under rules designed to help under pressure teams. Both were quick in pre-season testing, but not as quick as Marquez who dominated. pb/nr
