Injured Jorge Martin set for surprise MotoGP appearance at COTA
MotoGP champion Jorge Martin will join Aprilia at COTA ahead of a possible Qatar return.
MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin is set to make a surprise appearance at this weekend’s Grand Prix of the Americas, Aprilia has confirmed.
Although still not fit enough to make his RS-GP race debut, Martin is set to spend time with the team in Texas as he prepares for a potential return at the following Qatar round.
Ducati’s current championship leader, Marc Marquez, welcomed the news, calling it a ‘good strategy’.
“It's good for him and for Aprilia,” Marquez said. “We need the number one on the race track, we need Aprilia there in the top because in the end the championship with more riders, more manufacturers, is a better championship.
“And it’s a good strategy because it's a new team for him. Then it looks like he will be at the Qatar GP but it's necessary for a rider to adapt to the bike and also to the team. So it's a way to adapt the team.”
Younger brother Alex Marquez agreed.
“It's good to be again on a race track, to see how your team is working because he only did just one test, one day more in Montmelo [with Aprilia] and nothing in Sepang. It will be nice to see him around the paddock.”
Martin’s decision mirrors a similar approach taken by his former team-mate Franco Morbidelli, who attended last year’s Qatar pre-season test to familiarise himself with his new Pramac team before returning to competition.
“I did the same last year in the Qatar Test. I couldn't ride a bike, but I went to Qatar to catch up with the team, to get engaged,” said Morbidelli, who has switched to VR46 for 2025.
“Maybe too much time far from races can be counterproductive so it's good to spend time with your team - and if it's a new team, it's even more important - even though you cannot ride.
“It's going to be useful for him to spend time in the pit box.”
Martin completed just 13 laps of pre-season testing for Aprilia before suffering injuries to his right hand and left foot in a crash at Sepang.
His planned return at the Thai Grand Prix was then derailed by an even more severe injury to his left hand in a training accident, ruling him out of at least the first three rounds of the season.
The Qatar Grand Prix takes place from April 11-13, where Martin hopes to finally make his race debut for Aprilia.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
