Aprilia: “Gladiator” Jorge Martin “won’t race in Argentine MotoGP”

Aprilia do not expect injured reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin to make his RS-GP debut until at least round three of the 2025 season.

Speaking at the Buriram circuit, venue for this weekend’s season-opener, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola lamented the tragic run of misfortunate that has seen Martin suffer fractures in both his hands, and left foot, in recent weeks.

Asked how it felt to start the season without the world champion, Rivola didn’t mince his words:

“Obviously, I feel shit. But I think from today onwards, it's time to push with what we have. So looking forward to see Marco [Bezzecchi] doing the great job that he already did in testing and also to see Sava keep developing the bike.”

Then came confirmation that Martin will also miss round two of the season, in Argentina on March 14-16.

“For sure he won't race also in Argentina,” Rivola announced. “The situation of the left hand is not good at the moment. According to Doctor Mir, the surgery was quite good. So we are positive. But at the moment we don't even have to think about when he will be back.”

Rivola added: “He will only come back when he’s really fit. We don't want to risk his condition at all. So I prefer to look at this new era of Aprilia, with these two new riders in a long-term rather than short term vision.”

“He's a fighter, he is a gladiator”

Making history as the first Independent rider to win the title in the MotoGP era, with Pramac Ducati, Martin then became the first rider since Valentino Rossi to change manufacturers as a reigning champion.

But after a one-day Aprilia debut at Barcelona in November, Martin suffered a nightmare start to 2025 with a pair of highsides in the space of just 13 laps in testing at Sepang.

The huge second accident left Martin with a fractured metacarpal in his right hand and multiple fractures to the metatarsals of his left foot. Aprilia and Michelin continue to disagree over the cause of the fall.

Surgery was required for the hand injury, sidelining Martin from the final pre-season test but at least on course to return for this weekend’s Thai Grand Prix season opener… Until disaster struck yet again.

Back on a bike for the first time since Sepang, Martin highsided during a training session on a supermoto bike earlier this week, leaving him with a ‘complex fracture of the radius’ and other damage to his left hand.

Martin called Rivola personally to deliver the news, before undergoing surgery that saw two screws used to secure the radius fracture and one to stabilise the notoriously slow-to-heal scaphoid bone.

“When he said ‘Massimo’ [on the phone], he told me in a way that I said, ‘you crashed’,” Rivola said.

“So I said, ‘Okay. Let's take one thing at a time and think about yourself now. We will think about the rest’.”

Asked how Martin is feeling mentally after the injury blows, Rivola replied:

“He's a fighter, he is a gladiator. I'm sure he's thinking about racing tomorrow. Even riding with the teeth [biting on to the screen].

“But also, it's our time to tell him, ‘Hang on a second. We don't want to make any kind of mistake. You will be back. Take your time. We will think about the championship in the future. But now the priority is your health’.”

Rivola, who will rely on test rider Lorenzo Savadori alongside fellow new signing Marco Bezzecchi for Buriram and Termas, ruled out banning supermoto-style training.

“No. Speaking about riders in general, they know their limits. But in this case, he had the flight on Tuesday and so on Monday - he told me before obviously – [Martin was riding] just to check that his right arm was getting the feeling of the brakes and movement after the surgery.

“Especially the left foot was not in good shape, so also having the feeling of ‘how can I fit the boot? Do I have the feeling of the brake pedal?’ The kind of thing he needs to know before jumping on a beast like a MotoGP.”

The earliest Martin will now jump on his RS-GP beast will be at COTA in Texas from March 28-30, the scene of Aprilia's only grand prix win last season.