MotoGP silly season has been rocked by a bombshell announcement that Jorge Martin may be looking to exit his Aprilia contract early.
According to reports from Motorsport.com, the reigning World Champion intends to invoke a clause which releases him from the second year of his contract.
It is believed Martin had a clause when he signed for Aprilia which stated he could exit his contract early if he was not in the top three in the world championship standings following the French Grand Prix.
Two pre-season injuries sidelined Martin from the first three rounds of the season. He returned in Qatar, only to suffer a serious injury that resulted in nearly two weeks of hospital treatment in Doha due to a pneumothorax.
While a return date hasn’t been set yet, he will be unlikely to return before the German GP, scheduled for 11-13 July.
This means the World Champion is yet to score a point, placing him at the bottom of the overall standings.
However, Aprilia has no intention of standing by while the centrepiece of its MotoGP project departs without having had the chance to properly compete.
Martin was reportedly in Le Mans on Friday and held several meetings, including one where he informed the Aprilia management of his intention to activate the release clause for 2026.
However, out of respect for Aprilia, Martin is reportedly willing to extend the evaluation period up until the San Marino GP on 12-14 September.
Aprilia believes it has legal grounds to block the rider’s exit, arguing that the clause should not apply due to his injury-related absence, and that there is no obligation to extend the trial period.
It is reported that Martin feels the performance of the Aprilia RS-GP is not living up to the expectations set when the manufacturer convinced him to join.
What are the potential ramifications of Jorge Martin’s attempt to leave Aprilia?
The ramifications for this move remains to be seen, however it is expected that Martin’s desire to leave Aprilia could spark a chain of moves across the rider market.
It appears Honda may be the most likely destination for the World Champion, with the Japanese marque’s return to form proving attractive to suitors on the MotoGP grid and beyond.
Luca Marini currently occupies the factory Honda seat, however the Italian is out of contract at the end of the season and Martin could be looking to replace him.
The Spanish rider’s manager Albert Valera has allegedly been in contact with the Japanese manufacturer, however this was initially expected to be about a potential move for his other MotoGP star, Pedro Acosta.
However, WorldSBK star Toprak Razgatlioglu has also been touted as a potential candidate for the Honda ride, though Johann Zarco’s triumph at Le Mans has also made him the front runner.
If Martin does make the move, it could spark chaos for riders who had been hoping to become a factory Honda rider, and with Marini expected to be looking for a seat somewhere else on the grid, there may be another year of silly season chaos.
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