Jorge Martin has re-established himself as a frontrunner in MotoGP, but the Aprilia rider insists he is still some way from his peak form.
After a nightmare 2025 campaign in which he completed just four grands prix, Martin suffered another major setback over the winter when he discovered his injuries had not fully healed, forcing him to undergo two further operations before he could return to racing.
It was a brutal period for the 2024 champion, who revealed he couldn’t even eat on his own during the early stages of his recovery.
Missing the Sepang test meant he was set to start another season on the back foot, but the pace he has shown so far in 2026 has caught many by surprise. A top double five result at Buriram already surpassed expectations, but it was at the Brazilian Grand Prix last weekend that he really shone.
After starting the weekend on a strong note in practice, Martin rose to third in the sprint, scoring his first podium of any kind since his title-winning 2024 season. He went one better in Sunday’s grand prix, completing a 1-2 for the factory Aprilia team behind team-mate Marco Bezzecchi.
While he admittedly conceded too much ground in the opening laps to challenge Bezzecchi for victory, his charge through the field and the double overtake on Ducati duo Marc Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio evoked memories of his memorable stint at Pramac.
For Martin, the result was a culmination of the months of relentless work following the collarbone injury he sustained in September’s Japanese GP.
“I’ve been locked in for five and a half months, just training, recovering, training, recovering,” he said after the race. “I didn’t miss one day of the diet. I was always focused on my target, and this is the consequence of that. So, for sure, hard work pays off.
“I just need to continue. In our sport, there’s always tomorrow.”
Still operating at 95%
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group
Martin has been able to take advantage of Aprilia’s commanding start to 2026, with the RS-GP emerging as the fastest bike in both Buriram and Goiania. While he was only the third-best Aprilia rider in Thailand, he moved significantly closer to the marque’s benchmark Bezzecchi over the Brazilian weekend.
Had it not been for a crash on a flying lap in qualifying, he may also have secured a spot on the front row.
Martin believes he is now operating at 95% fitness and needs at least another month to return to his absolute best. While his initial results on track have been encouraging, the 28-year-old is aware that he needs more time to get the maximum out of Aprilia’s 2026 package.
A four-week gap after this weekend’s US Grand Prix could therefore prove pivotal, offering him a chance to recover and reset ahead of the European leg of the season.
“I’m much better than I was feeling in Thailand. Maybe in Thailand I was 85%, maybe now I’m 95%,” he said.
“I still miss a bit from my hand and my shoulder, but what I miss the most is a bit of feeling with Aprilia. I still ride a bit tense and I feel that this doesn’t help me. But every lap or every day that I run on the bike is getting better and better, and I think maybe in one month or one and a half, I will be at my top level.
“Then it’s still a long season to go, so I will play my chances, and just day by day I will try to improve a lot.”
Not a title contender yet
The podium finish on Sunday puts Martin second in the standings, just nine points behind new championship leader Bezzecchi.
However, the Spaniard is reluctant to call himself a title contender yet, believing he is still lacking the consistency needed to take the fight to his team-mate.
“Not at the moment. I still miss a lot of laps with Aprilia,” he said. “It’s like Marco together with the bike is just ‘one’. They are perfect for each other.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
“I just arrived from the back and I’m starting to understand what the bike needs. I’m starting to understand how I can improve my style to be faster.
“On some laps I feel super strong, then I start to feel weak, then strong again. So I just need to find that consistency throughout the long runs.
“But overall, the speed is there, the confidence is there and every day I’m a bit closer to the top guys. So yeah, hopefully I can continue improving and let’s see where we arrive.”
Aprilia never doubted Martin
Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola also backed Martin after his recent string of results, having played an instrumental role in luring him to the team after he was overlooked for a promotion to Ducati’s factory team.
“I don’t want to say surprise, because he’s a double world champion,” Rivola said of Martin’s results. “He’s a natural super fast rider.
“But a super emotional weekend. Two times on the podium in such a good style.
“Jorge is coming. What he did in Thailand was impressive. What he did this weekend is impressive. What he will do in the next races will be impressive, I’m sure.
“But he’s super fast, so I’m not surprised by that. I’m just super happy that we believed that it was possible and we did it.”
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