Jorge Martín has put the specter of injuries behind him to look like the rider of old. After a 2025 campaign disrupted by all manner of health setbacks, the #89 rider has regained his fitness and restored his competitiveness, capitalizing on the solid step forward taken by Aprilia this season. However, his quest for a second World Title will require the Spaniard to be at the absolute top of his game.
Following his 2024 Championship triumph—when he became the first rider in the modern era to secure the MotoGP Drivers’ World Championship with an independent/satellite team—Martín went through hell. Beset by back-to-back injuries, he was limited to just seven of last year’s 22 rounds. To make matters worse, his prolonged absence frayed his relationship with Aprilia during a moment of desperation.
Shaken by a severe crash in Qatar, Martín approached Aprilia in France stating his intent to trigger a performance clause to terminate his contract a year early. Noale’s factory management held firm to retain him, but the strain on their relationship was already done.
Despite the friction, the work continued, allowing Martín in 2026 to make the most of what Aprilia’s RS-GP has to offer. Beyond proving his own pace—particularly in the first quarter of the season—the Madrilenian took advantage of Marco Bezzecchi’s continuous setbacks to take over the MotoGP championship lead.
Martín headed into the summer break with 208 points under his belt, but holding a slim 14-point advantage over second place—which, following the German GP, now belongs to Ai Ogura.
Even with Aprilia holding a 1-2 sweep in the championship standings—backed by satellite squad Trackhouse moving up into second—the alarm bells are ringing. Marc Márquez, who once trailed the leader by over a hundred points, has surged to third in the standings and sits just 18 points adrift of the top spot.
With a strong bike at his disposal, Martín possesses the machinery to fight for the title, but he will need to be at absolute peak form, given the rivalry is proving even fiercer than initially anticipated. After all, Ducati managed to get the Desmosedici back on track, and more importantly, Marc Márquez has overcome his physical setbacks to return as the fiercely competitive rider he has always been.
The #93 wrapped up the first half of the season admitting he is not yet at 100% physical condition, but pledged to work hard during the summer break to rebuild strength in his right shoulder. Ducati itself acknowledges that, despite his blistering pace, the Spaniard isn’t quite at the same level as last year.
In a field as tight as this, Martín will need to extract every ounce of performance if he wants to hold onto the championship lead through the end of the 2026 season.
MotoGP now enters its summer hiatus and will return to the track from August 7–9 for the British GP, Round 12 of the 2026 World Championship.
