Aprilia has confirmed that it has signed Jorge Martin for 2025 MotoGP in the wake of rumours that Marc Marquez has locked up the coveted factory Ducati seat.
The MotoGP world was turned on its head on the Monday following the Italian Grand Prix when Aprilia confirmed it had sensationally signed Jorge Martin for the 2025 season to replace the retiring Aleix Espargaro.
Martin’s move was confirmed by Aprilia on Monday evening, a day after the Italian Grand Prix, which the Spanish rider finished third behind Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini, and ahead of Marc Marquez.
The 26-year old had revealed his intentions to ride with a works team for 2025 MotoGP and Italian reports published last weekend that Ducati had chosen him to partner Francesco Bagnaia. However, Marc Marquez disclosed at Mugello that the Pramac ride Martin will vacate was not an option, prompting Ducati to enact an apparent reversal on its choice.
Aprilia then moved quickly to advance talks with Martin to take advantage of Ducati pulling out of the race to sign the current MotoGP championship leader to a multi-year contract.
Martin will replace Pol Espargaro, who will retire from MotoGP at the end of the current campaign and has been touted to take up a testing role with Honda from 2025.
“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,” said Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola.
“Thanks to Dr. Michele Colaninno (President of the Piaggio Group) for this opportunity, we spoke last night and without wasting any time we made the decision.”
Martin made his MotoGP debut in 2021 with Pramac Ducati and he has remained with the team ever since, going up against Bagnaia for the 2023 championship.
The Spaniard finished as championship runner-up to Bagnaia last season and leads the standings in 2024 with two victories and two Sprint wins in the first six rounds.
Ducati, which has dominated the MotoGP scene for the previous two years, is believed to have been Martin’s preferred manufacturer. He was signed by the brand after KTM was unable to accommodate him, and he has so far spent his whole premier class career with them.
Martin was among the candidates for the 2023 Ducati factory seat number two, but Enea Bastianini was selected over him. Ducati chose to retain its riders despite his championship challenge last season as Bastianini was already under contract with the factory team through 2024.
After that, Martin focused on securing the second factory seat for 2025 MotoGP and according to Autosport today, Martin received word between the Catalan and Italian Grand Prixs that he will be joining the Ducati Lenovo Team next year.
But Ducati’s certainty in this choice hinged on Marc Marquez agreeing to a contract that would provide him a factory-spec Desmosedici GP25 at the Pramac squad for next season.
The six-time world champion had been reported to seek a seat beside Bagnaia or to stay with his existing Gresini squad, but with factory-spec equipment, meaning Ducati would have to commit to producing and running a fifth factory bike next season.
However, Ducati Corse Sporting Director Mauro Grassilli stated to MotoGP.com over the weekend that a fifth GP25 was not something the Italian brand was considering.
As a result, Marquez reportedly informed Ducati that he would only accept a seat in the factory team alongside Bagnaia—who has already signed a new two-year contract that would keep him with the team through 2026—or he would leave for a different manufacturer, according to Autosport.
Now, Martin’s decision to sign a contract with Aprilia is final, meaning that Marquez will soon be officially announced as a factory rider, forcing Enea Bastianini to find another ride.
Meanwhile, the fact Pramac will have neither Marquez nor Martin on their roster means it switching from Ducati to Yamaha machinery for 2025 now appears more likely than ever.
