Doctors restrain Jorge Martín as his fight with Aprilia intensifies

Jorge Martín is making steady progress in his recovery from the injuries that have kept him out of a single Grand Prix this season. The reigning MotoGP World Champion, after undergoing a medical examination this Monday at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, ​​still has not received a definitive clearance from the doctors, who have banned him from competing in the German GP, ​​the next round on the calendar, in two weeks' time.

“There is significant improvement regarding the rib fractures, but despite the notable progress, some have not fully healed. The evolution is very positive, and based on this, two additional weeks are required for a full recovery,” explains Dr. Ángel Charte, the championship doctor, in his report. During the Qatar GP on April 13, the San Sebastián de los Reyes rider suffered a traumatic pneumothorax and fractured 11 ribs after a hard fall on his return to competition . The 27-year-old Madrid native had to spend eight days in the ICU and nearly two weeks in the Arabian country before returning to Spain and beginning his recovery, which is now progressing favorably.

Martín, champion in 2024 with the private Ducati team of the Pramac team , had previously suffered two notable setbacks during the World Championship preseason in February. These accidents, first while training with his new prototype in Malaysia and then with a street bike at a karting event in Lleida, delayed his official debut with Aprilia during the initial stretch of the championship. The most serious injury then was the one he suffered to the scaphoid bone of his left hand, which has not fully healed yet. "Clinical progress is good, but the bone consolidation is not 100%," notes Dr. Xavier Mir in his assessment.

As the time approaches for the champion to be back on the Aprilia, something that could happen as early as next week at a private test organized by the factory—pending another medical examination—the number one on the grid is watching from his sofa at home the escalation of his contractual dispute with the Piaggio group brand. The rider claims to be released from his contract for 2026 due to a clause that Noale considers ineffective . Throughout the Dutch GP weekend, all parties involved appeared before various media outlets and television channels in a kind of public back-and-forth.

It was Albert Valera, the Madrid-born manager's representative, who once again spoke out strongly regarding the driver's position after several weeks of cold war and no effective negotiations between the parties. " Jorge Martín is released from his contract until 2026. For us, it's very clear. He's completely available, and we can talk to other factories," stated the manager, explicitly naming Honda as an option. The legal analysis by Garrigues, the law firm advising Martín on this matter, supports its client's position and maintains that he would win the case if it were brought before the competent courts in Italy.

What the world champion's team hadn't counted on was the intervention of the championship promoter. Carmelo Ezpeleta, executive director of Dorna Sports, also appeared before the cameras to express the championship's position. "We cannot accept the entry of any rider in the World Championship who is not free, either by a judge's decision or by having reached an agreement with the other party," the executive explained to DAZN in Spain and Sky Sports in Italy. "Aprilia says it has a current contract with Martín, while his representative claims he is free. For us to accept him, the two parties must reach an agreement or a judge must decide the case," he added, in an effort to put the matter in order.

Encouraged by the endorsement from the highest levels of the World Championship, Aprilia's sporting director, Massimo Rivola, also made his point at Assen. "As Carmelo Ezpeleta has said in his statements, and he has been very clear, the rider cannot move without our approval, and from our point of view, nothing has changed," stated the Italian team's top executive. "We will do whatever is necessary to protect our company. Although it may seem crazy now, our number one priority is for Jorge to remain an Aprilia rider next year. If that's not possible, we will sit down to reach a compensation agreement or go to court," he concluded.

Martín's current intention is to resolve this matter once and for all before his return to the track. If there are no setbacks, the Madrid-born rider's return could take place at the twelfth round of the championship in Brno, which returns to the calendar after a five-year absence on July 20. The Czech GP is the last race before the summer break in the MotoGP World Championship. Aprilia, with the upper hand and no interest in rushing things, is in no hurry to resolve the conflict yet.