Aprilia Stuns MotoGP: Jorge Martin Signs Just 30 Minutes Before Public Announcement

Aprilia: "Jorge Martin officially joined our team at 5:30 PM today"

Massimo Rivola: "We completed the signing at 5:30 PM and made the announcement by 6 PM. It was a swift decision and action on our part."

CEO of Aprilia Racing, Massimo Rivola, disclosed that Jorge Martin, the current leader in the MotoGP standings, inked his deal with the team just half an hour before the unexpected announcement was released.

In the lead-up to the Mugello weekend, there was speculation that Martin, who had been previously associated with the spot, had triumphed over Marc Marquez in the competition to join Francesco Bagnaia as a factory Ducati teammate in 2025.

Click here to download the Crash MotoGP podcast.

However, after Marquez firmly declined the possibility of taking Martin's spot at Pramac, Ducati seems to have made a surprising reversal and selected the eight-time world champion to partner with Bagnaia instead.

When Ducati parted ways with Martin, Aprilia quickly capitalized by signing him as a replacement for his close friend Aleix Espargaro, who has announced he will retire following the 2024 season.

"Clearly, I'm extremely pleased to have him join us," Rivola mentioned to Dorna's Jack Gorst.

"I can't share all the specifics, but I can say it was a rapid negotiation, moving swiftly from last night to today. In fact, we signed the agreement at 5:30pm and made the announcement by 6pm. So it was a quick decision and action on our part."

"After Aleix announced his retirement, I began exploring the rider market in the paddock. Numerous managers approached me, and I believe we found the best possible outcome."

Rivola stated that Espargaro’s teammate at Aprilia, Maverick Vinales, has not made a decision about his future yet. However, Rivola is optimistic that Vinales will stay and create a strong partnership with Martin.

Rivola remarked, "We'll check if Maverick wants to remain with our team. If he doesn't, we'll explore other options in the market. However, the idea of having an incredible duo like Maverick and Jorge is certainly exciting."

Rivola mentioned that while "Aleix and Jorge have a close, brother-like relationship," he doubts that the younger Spaniard joining Aprilia will influence Espargaro to stay on as a test rider for the team. Instead, as speculated, Espargaro might take on development responsibilities at Honda.

The satellite Trackhouse team also has two additional RS-GP seats from Aprilia.

Discover More

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or reproducing any part of the text, images, or drawings in any manner is strictly prohibited.