Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin activates performance clause, citing unmet conditions in Aprilia deal; Honda tipped as likely destination for 2026.
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MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin has officially announced he intends to leave Aprilia Racing at the end of the 2025 season, citing a performance clause in his contract. The news, confirmed Thursday via a personal statement on his Instagram, follows weeks of speculation and tension between Martin and the Italian manufacturer.
Martin’s departure centres on a contractual condition that allowed him to assess Aprilia’s competitiveness after six rounds of the championship. Despite missing most of the season so far due to injury, Martin has chosen to exercise his right to exit early.
“Faced with the situation of having to make a decision on a date that is established by contract, I have decided to exercise my right to release myself for the 2026 season,” Martin stated.
The 27-year-old Spaniard, who clinched his first MotoGP crown with Pramac Racing last season, moved to Aprilia for 2025 with high expectations. However, a string of injuries, including a wrist and ankle fracture in pre-season, followed by a crash in Qatar that left him with a collapsed lung, have kept him from scoring a single point in the first seven rounds.
Despite Aprilia winning the British Grand Prix last weekend with Marco Bezzecchi, Martin remains unconvinced of the team’s long-term potential.
“When we signed [the contract], I agreed with Aprilia that if certain circumstances were not met, I reserved the right to decide my future for 2026. This was an essential condition,” he explained.
Aprilia had previously released a public statement insisting Martin was expected to honour his full two-year deal and warned rival teams against making any approaches.
But Martin countered any suggestions of wrongdoing: “At no time have I ever breached the contract… I am simply taking control of my future as a professional athlete.”
Martin was a top contender for Ducati’s factory seat last year, which ultimately went to Marc Marquez, the current championship leader. With Ducati and KTM options limited, Honda, especially after Luca Marini’s recent injury, appears the most likely landing spot for Martin in 2026.
Martin’s exit would leave a significant gap in Aprilia’s roster, which only recently tasted victory again, ending a winless streak. While Bezzecchi’s British GP triumph offers a glimmer of hope, Aprilia now faces a major rider market challenge heading into the 2026 season.
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