Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola believes Jorge Martin’s main task for the 2026 MotoGP season is not proving his speed, but believing in himself.
Martin, the 2024 world champion, endured a difficult debut year with the factory Aprilia team, taking part in only seven races due to multiple injuries. Despite limited appearances, he showed glimpses of his potential, most notably with a strong recovery ride from 18th on the grid to fourth place in Hungary shortly after returning from his third major injury.
Because of his lack of mileage on the RS-GP, Martin is still in a learning phase heading into 2026. Rivola feels the Spaniard now understands the bike’s potential and must focus on confidence rather than results.
Rivola explained that Martin does not need to prove his speed, as his talent is already well known throughout the paddock. Instead, he must allow himself time to adapt, warning that pushing too hard can sometimes lead to setbacks rather than progress.
During the season, Martin attempted to activate a performance clause to exit his Aprilia contract early, citing results. Aprilia rejected the move due to his limited race participation and warned of legal action. Martin later committed to seeing out his deal ahead of the Czech Grand Prix.
Rivola also revealed that Martin had received interest from Honda, adding to the off-track drama. Despite these challenges, Aprilia enjoyed its strongest MotoGP campaign to date, claiming four grand prix victories and finishing second in the manufacturers’ standings.
