Jorge Martin put the finishing touch on his 2024 season by stepping onto the podium MotoGP season finale in Barcelona – and duly sealed the world title.
From then until the Czech Republic GP, more than eight months passed without Martin seeing a chequered flag. During that time, he moved from Pramac to Aprilia and suffered three serious injuries that kept him from completing a race for 245 days.
It’s been a long road and a process that tested the Spanish rider, who, amid the frustration of not being able to race, made a bold move to try to leave Aprilia early.
Now recovered both physically and mentally, the Spaniard experienced his first real joy in eight months by completing the Brno weekend without setbacks.
With the peace of mind that comes from being back and feeling ‘competitive’ within the circumstances, Martin is using the summer break to work out in the gym, ride his bike and undertake motorcycle training to be ready for the final 10 races of the year.
“It was a very tense weekend because everything was so unpredictable – so many emotions,” the Spaniard said after the Czech Republic GP. “Before the race I cried a lot, with my family, in the motorhome, right when I was putting on my leather suit, because everything I’ve been through has been very hard.”
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Aprilia Racing
On the Thursday of Brno, Martin gave all the explanations that were asked of him and tried to close the chapter then and there. The tension in the garage began to ease as the days went by, but the goal now is “to build a team, a family, together with Aprilia”.
“Now we need to build confidence together. I know they believe in me a lot, and I believe in them and in the project now. So I’m very confident that the potential is huge,” he explained.
Massimo Rivola, Aprilia CEO, is among those who believe Martin will only need two or three races to be fighting for the podium and that he still has time to achieve a victory in 2025.
Martin, for his part, doesn’t want to rush things and first aims to close the gap to his team-mate, Marco Bezzecchi, who has become Aprilia’s benchmark.
“Marco is riding really well and is up front. I just need to reduce the gap to him and then I’ll be fighting for victories. So I feel I made the right decision,” Martin explained. “We’ll never know for sure, but I’m happy with where I am now. I know the bike is really competitive, and I’m competitive, inside and out. The important thing is that I still feel I’ve got fuel left and that I can get to the top.”
In Brno Martin found a much-improved bike compared to the one in Qatar, where he had returned in April only to get injured again.
“I changed something that helped me ride more smoothly and suited my style better. So now it’s just small details that help me ride more easily and be more consistent,” he revealed.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Aprilia Racing
“I was maybe three or four tenths [per lap] off the pace to be in the fight for the win. But there are still 10 races to go, and there will be somewhere I can be really fast. Others, I’ll struggle. But the important thing is to keep improving and growing over the course of the season.
“I don’t want to think about results. But yes, I’ve got three or four races marked on the calendar. Right now, the goal is there – I think we can fight for at least one podium. The goal is to finish the year on the podium and be ready to face 2026.”
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