MotoGP bombshell: Martin to Aprilia, opens factory Ducati seat for Marquez

The championship leader has signed a multi-year contract with the Noale marque, which has rapidly turned the RS-GP into a sought-after bike in recent years.

Until the last 24 hours, the most likely course was thought to have been that Martin would be promoted from Pramac Racing in order to keep him satisfied and hence in the Ducati fold.

With Marquez having quite unequivocally stated that his two possibilities were the Ducati Team or to remain at Gresini Racing, it had been speculated that the Bologna manufacturer would find a way to supply him with a GP25-spec Desmosedici in 2025.

Instead, ‘The Martinator’ has traded one Italian machine for another, and now MM93 is the firm favourite to be riding a red Desmosedici next year.

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said, “A path of unstoppable growth, Jorge is a building block to reach the goal we are all looking for with great hunger at Aprilia Racing.

“Thanks to Dr Michele Colaninno [CEO of Aprilia’s parent company, Piaggio Group] for this opportunity, we spoke last night and without wasting any time we made the decision.”

The deal was announced off the back of Monday’s post-race test at Mugello and represents the first confirmed Aprilia rider for 2025.

Aleix Espargaro, who delivered Aprilia’s first ever race win back in the 2022 Argentina Grand Prix, has already announced his impending retirement from MotoGP competition.

He has been linked to a test rider position with Honda, which would square with his comment that “I don’t think I will stay in Aprilia.”

On the other side of the garage, Maverick Viñales is also off-contract although there is no serious expectation that he will leave.

Meanwhile, Pramac still has at least one seat to fill and Gresini will if indeed Marc Marquez makes the move to the factory Ducati squad.

Enea Bastianini, who also skipped straight from Gresini to the Ducati Team (while on a factory contract at each, unlike Marc Marquez), would presumably be a candidate for either.

Martin is the second major signing in recent days after it was confirmed that Pedro Acosta will move up from GasGas Tech3 to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, taking over Jack Miller’s seat.

Red Bull KTM incumbent Brad Binder, who was already contracted to the Austrian marque for 2025, set the pace in a rain-affected test at Mugello.