Could Jorge Martin’s “key of life” power him to 2025 MotoGP title?

Jorge Martin’s psychological evolution in 2024 saw him clinch a maiden premier class title; now he has to defend it as he steps up to factory status inside a factory which has never won a MotoGP title before.

The Spaniard began working with a sports psychologist in the wake of his 2023 title defeat to Francesco Bagnaia, and the mental work he did throughout last year saw him win one less Grand Prix than he did in 2023, but score 80 points more thanks to an incredibly consistent season in which he finished on the podium in all but eight of the 40 races run.

“Since I started doing that, I have been doing it until now and I will always work on the mental side even after retirement,” Martin said at the 2025 Aprilia MotoGP team launch, where he was presented alongside Marco Bezzecchi as the factory team’s line-up for this year.

“I think it’s the key of life.

“I’ve been training a lot, trying new things. I mean, I will keep a lot for myself because I don’t want to give away any secrets to my opponents.

“But for sure it’s really important to know how to approach this new project because I think the Jorge of one year ago would say ‘I want to win again, to demonstrate to the people that I am the best’.

“But for me now it’s not like this. Now I have my own challenge to make this project win. I think it’s a really nice project.

“Nobody won in the past with Aprilia in MotoGP, so I have a lot of excitement to do that. I will go for it.

“I have a lot of determination. But [...] I cannot guarantee any results because this is completely impossible.

“I can guarantee my 100% determination, a lot of sacrifices to make this project a winning project.”

It was this greater perspectivity that allowed Martin to unlock greater potential in his 2024 title-winning season than what he had displayed in 2023, when mistakes prevented him from winning a title he was fast enough to clinch.

The Spaniard, who revealed his choice to run the #1 plate at Aprilia’s team launch, is trying to have the same kind of perspective when it comes to embracing his new combined position as both a World Champion and as the leader of Aprilia’s MotoGP project.

“I don’t mind if I’m the number one for the people,” Martin said.

“For me, it’s really important to focus on what I can control, which is being fast, training every day, trying to be a better rider every day.

“So, if people like me, okay. If they don’t like me, that’s okay also. I cannot control that, so they can think what they want.

“What I want is to build a nice project, a nice career that I can be proud of when I retire. So, this is what I want. Now I have the #1, so I will try to take this responsibility because it’s not easy after fighting for so many years.

“But I don’t feel like I am the main guy at the moment. But maybe at the end of the year or next year we can repeat this question.”

Moving to Aprilia for 2025 makes defending the title he won in 2024 complicated for Martin, given Ducati’s dominance of MotoGP in recent years and their strong factory rider line-up for the upcoming season, but he insists he isn’t carrying any expectations with him for the moment.

“It’s impossible to predict what can happen [in 2025],” he said when asked if he can win the 2025 title.

“Maybe yes, maybe no.

“If we start in a good way, I feel like the potential of growing is a lot. So, who knows? Maybe we can do it, maybe not.

“So, I will not put expectation on results at the moment.

“I will put expectations from when we start, step by step, from my side being the best Martin that I can, and from Aprilia trying to be the best factory and build the best bike that we can.

“This is the only thing we can control.”