On May 30th, before the Italian Grand Prix, it seemed like Jorge Martin’s future in MotoGP for 2025 was set. Reports from Gazzetta dello Sport said that Martin, who was leading the championship, would join Ducati’s main team. Ducati was waiting for Marc Marquez’s decision about racing for Pramac on a factory GP25 bike.
But things changed when Marquez said Pramac wasn’t an option for him. He wanted a factory bike at Gresini or the factory team, or he would leave MotoGP altogether. Ducati bosses had a tough decision because Marquez is a talented rider who quickly adapted to Ducati in 2024 and is popular with fans.
So, Ducati changed its plan and told Martin on Sunday at Mugello that Marquez would get the factory seat instead. Martin then became available in the rider market, and Aprilia quickly offered him a deal.
At the Mugello test on Monday, Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola talked about the quick decision to sign Martin. He said they had been looking for new riders since Aleix Espargaro decided to retire. They wanted to wait and see what opportunities came up. When they saw a chance to sign Martin, they acted fast and made a deal.
Aprilia sees Martin’s signing as an important step in their MotoGP journey. Since returning to MotoGP in 2015, they’ve worked hard to improve. They started winning races in 2022, and now they can attract top talent like Martin.
Martin is leading the championship and has won two races in 2024. His signing shows how far Aprilia has come. Rivola also mentioned that they talked with Marquez about joining in 2024, but now their focus is on Martin.
With Martin signed, attention turns to the second seat at Aprilia. Enea Bastianini was a top choice before Martin’s deal. He may have offers from Aprilia, KTM, and Yamaha if it partners with Pramac.
Rivola hopes to keep Maverick Vinales, who hasn’t decided his future yet. If Vinales stays, there may not be room for Bastianini. But Rivola wants to bring Bastianini to Aprilia because he’s a talented rider.
For Rivola, the priority is to understand what Vinales wants, and then they’ll decide about the second seat.
