Opinion: The risky game Jorge Martin is playing with MotoGP number choice
The world champion has slapped the #1 plate on his Aprilia for the 2025 season. While a bold statement, it could be one that ultimately leaves Martin with egg on his face
As sure as Christmas Day falls on 25 December every year, Jorge Martin has unveiled the number one plate on the Aprilia MotoGP bike he will race in 2025 at the team’s launch event in Milan on Thursday afternoon.
Martin has been teasing this for some time. After leaving the world hanging at the post-season Barcelona test by sticking with his traditional #89, he spent the winter posting on-the-nose pictures hinting to his final choice. Aprilia tried to pull a fast one by putting #89 on the backdrop behind his bike on the stage in Sky Italy’s studios, but the surprise was somewhat muted when the covers came off.
It is discourse that rages every year: should the world champion run #1 or not? There are those who staunchly believe that it is the duty of the world champion to do so, while others (like this writer) don’t frankly care.
Read more: The signs of hope in Jorge Martin's Aprilia MotoGP test debut
The likes of Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez never did, after all. Career-long numbers help build brand identity and foster a unique relationship with fans. Whether its #46 for Rossi, #23 for Michael Jordan (and, latterly, LeBron James) or #99 for Wayne Gretzky, images of those numbers evoke a special kind of resonance for fans.
Historically, in the modern era, the world champion who runs the #1 plate doesn’t often fair well. The first to do so was Nicky Hayden in 2007. The late American scored just three podiums that year and was a lowly eighth in the standings. Casey Stoner did so in 2008. He was not successful in his title defence, either, as he finished runner-up to Rossi by a whopping 93 points.
The next to do so was Jorge Lorenzo in 2011, as he ran an awful amalgamation of his two initials - ‘J’ and ‘L’ - to form the #1. He ended the year second, 90 points behind Stoner as his remote hopes were ended by a practice crash at the Australian GP that left him with a broken finger.
Stoner came back for a second crack at the #1 plate in 2012. He ended the campaign third, having missed a handful of races to an ankle injury, having already decided to retire from MotoGP. The #1 plate wouldn’t be seen on a bike again until Francesco Bagnaia turned up for the 2023 season as the reigning world champion. So far, he is the only rider in the modern era to have successfully defended the title while carrying that number, having won again in 2023.
Before Bagnaia, you have to go back to Mick Doohan in 1998 to have done this, with Alex Criville in 2000 and Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2001 in the final years of the 500cc era failing in their pursuits.
Now, I’m not going to suggest that there is some kind of Indiana Jones-esque ‘cures of the #1 plate’ that hangs over MotoGP. But the pressure involved in being the hunted as reigning world champion only magnifies the fact when you lose.
Speaking about his choice at the Aprilia launch, Martin said: “I use it all over the place. For sure, I didn’t have any doubts for putting the one because I have been fighting for this all of my life. So, finally achieving the world championship in MotoGP and being able to put this number on this amazing Aprilia is super nice. So, hopefully we can have much more motivation with this number. I feel great with it and hopefully we can bring it to the top.”
There is some reading between the lines to be had with that statement. As world champion, and as a rider who elected to step away from the grid’s best bike after Ducati didn’t promote him to the factory seat, Martin’s motivation is sky high.
So, the motivation he wants the the #1 plate to generate is within Aprilia itself. The Noale brand has been steadily building its way up the grid, but there was little prospect of it fighting for the world championship with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales in recent times.
It only got itself into a position to start winning races in 2022, while last year it took a significant step backwards in terms of performance as the 2024 campaign wore on - to the point that it slid to third in the constructors’ standings behind KTM.
Prior to Martin leaving Ducati, Aprilia engaged 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo in discussions about joining its ranks. It couldn’t match Yamaha’s financial package, with Aprilia at the time thought to only be willing to pay Quartararo up to €4 million. When Ducati made its U-turn on giving Martin the factory nod in favour of Marc Marquez, Aprilia was able to find some more money between the couch cushions.
It saw an opportunity it couldn’t pass up. And now the pressure is on. It has positioned itself as a marque who can attract superstar names, but failure to provide Martin with a bike that can fight for the championship will kill this status.
Martin is also acutely aware of just how good the Ducati really is and what it is capable of in 2025, not least with Marc Marquez on the bike. Remember, Martin spent the year looking at his data while the eight-time world champion was on the GP23 and he did remark in the post-season that he beat “the best version” of Marquez.
Martin knows what he’s walked away from. And therefore, Aprilia must repay the trust he has put in it.
So, the #1 plate is as much a battle cry for his team as it is signal of his status as world champion. But let’s not be naive, either: Martin putting the #1 plate on the RS-GP is very much a firm middle finger to Ducati management.
Martin has been very cordial with Ducati publicly about how it continued to support his title charge in 2024 despite effectively giving him the cold shoulder. But after the season, he did also note in a television interview that “how they managed it wasn’t really good”, in regards to how it reached the decision to go against giving him the factory seat.
Seeing the #1 on a rival marque’s bike with the rider it won the world championship with last year will sting Ducati today.
But Martin is also taking a major risk. By running the #1 plate, the expectation is on him to deliver. And already he’s shot down suggestions that he will fight for the title in 2025.
As much as Ducati gets left with egg on its face if Martin does end up winning the title this year for Aprilia, it will also get the last laugh if Marc Marquez vindicates its decision by tallying up a seventh MotoGP title in 2025…
