Jorge Martin may already have decided his future beyond the end of the current MotoGP cycle, with reports suggesting his time at Aprilia will not extend into the 2027 season.
According to Motorsport.com, the 2024 MotoGP world champion is close to finalising a deal that would see him join Yamaha for 2027, when the championship switches to the new 850cc regulations. The move would come after the expiry of his current contract with the Noale-based manufacturer.
Such a switch would follow reports that Fabio Quartararo is set to leave Yamaha at the end of this season, potentially opening the door for Martin to become the brand’s new lead rider. At the same time, it would leave Aprilia with a highly sought-after vacancy heading into the new era.
Martin joined Aprilia for the 2025 season after being overlooked by Ducati for its second factory seat alongside Francesco Bagnaia, with the Italian marque opting to sign Marc Marquez instead. That decision prompted Martin to leave Pramac Ducati, the team with which he went on to win the 2024 world title.
His debut season with Aprilia proved to be a challenging one. Martin was injured during pre-season testing, suffered another setback in training before the opening round, and then crashed in the Qatar Grand Prix, where he was also struck by Fabio Di Giannantonio. He returned to action at Brno ahead of the summer break, scoring a top-10 finish, followed by fourth place in Hungary, which would stand as his best result of the year.
Further misfortune struck later in the season when he was injured again in the Japanese Sprint after a first-corner crash involving team-mate Marco Bezzecchi.
During his recovery from the Qatar injuries, speculation emerged that Martin was exploring options to leave Aprilia a year early for 2026, though that move did not materialise. Now, with Quartararo’s expected departure from Yamaha, the path appears clearer for Martin to make a high-profile switch for 2027.
