Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin seems to have put his differences with Aprilia behind him following last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, using an excellent fourth place in only his third race back from career-threatening injuries to relaunch his relationship with his team.
It’s no secret that the past months have been tumultuous for Martin’s relationship with his employer.
He attempted to execute a break clause in his contract for the end of 2025 as he sat on the sidelines recovering from injuries sustained in pre-season testing in Malaysia, then while training at home, and finally during an ill-fated Qatar race return in April.
With Aprilia stating quite clearly that there was no legal way out for Martin, and with MotoGP bosses Dorna backing that stance, it could have meant a frosty return to the team for him at last month’s Czech Grand Prix, despite the best efforts of Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola to ensure that everything remained friendly even as the two sides threatened to see each other in court.
However, that issue now seems a distant memory given Martin’s strong return to form at Balaton Park - and the promise of much more to come as he continues to learn and adapt to the RS-GP.
He scored the last available point with ninth in Saturday's sprint race at Balaton Park. Then on Sunday - despite having qualified six tenths off his team-mate Marco Bezzecchi and started 16th - Martin charged through the field to finish fourth, one spot behind Bezzecchi.
“We’re in the right way,” he explained after the race, “and the team is working incredibly.
"I’m really surprised about Aprilia and how they’re working on the project. We’re both in the same direction, and I think we’re really strong.
“I think today I feel like I am back, personally. Like I could put a strong pace for 26 laps that is not easy, in a tricky track.
"For sure, I need time with the bike.
“I am the same Martinator as last year, the bike is much better than last year, and it’s just a matter of time until we put everything together and we can fight for victories.
“Last year I had the hunger for winning the title and that was great, but now on reflection, thinking a bit about my history, the challenge to bring Aprilia to winning gives me much more motivation and joy than just winning races.
“The day I win with Aprilia will be fantastic, it will be super good, and I hope it will arrive.”
That day isn’t quite here just yet, though, given that Martin believes he still needs more time to figure out the bike and to complete the process of adapting his riding style to it after a MotoGP career spent on Ducati machinery.
But there are clear signs of improvement that suggest it won’t take as long as perhaps initially anticipated.
“Sure I still need a bit more of knowing how the bike reacts,” he explained, “when I brake really hard, because two or three times I was really wide on Turn 5, almost out of the track. There I lost maybe one second each time.
“I need to understand that better, but I’m still in my learning process. Even on the grid I was still changing the handlebars, so I need a bit more time.
“But giving my 100% today was fourth, and that’s a good result. And most of that was for the team, to give them a good result, to give them the motivation and to help them keep believing.
“The result for me is that I improved my feeling, I improved my base set-up, and I can be more ready for the next race.
"It doesn’t change anything for Barcelona or Misano [upcoming races] at the moment, and I don’t want to have any expectations.
"I just want to continue learning with the bike, continue understanding how to be better, and that’s it. Today I had no expectations, and I was fourth and close to the podium.
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“Maybe in the next race, I’m on the podium or fighting for the victory. I don’t know. I’ll do my 100%, but I don’t want to do more than what I can.
“I think we have arrived, and now we just need to keep continuing in other areas like qualifying or maybe the last part of the race. We have to work on that.”
