If there was any lingering doubt that Jorge Martin had overcome his struggles, it vanished when he claimed victory at the French Grand Prix.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Loic Venance / AFP via Getty Images
Jorge Martin says his recovery from a series of injuries and a contractual dispute in 2025 fills him with as much pride as winning the 2024 MotoGP title, adding that he has emerged as a stronger rider.
In France on Sunday, the Spaniard made a symbolic return to the top of MotoGP by securing his first grand prix win since his title-winning campaign with Pramac Ducati two years ago.
Between late 2024 and early 2026, Martin suffered multiple injuries and missed the majority of races. During his time off, he also attempted to exit his contract with Aprilia, a controversy first reported by Motorsport.com. The 28-year-old has frequently spoken about the mental challenges he faced during the low points of 2025.
But this season has been far smoother. Martin already had a couple of sprint victories under his belt as he lined up for the Le Mans race on Sunday. The only missing piece in his return to full-fledged MotoGP frontrunner status was a grand prix win — which he delivered less than an hour later.
When asked if reaching his best form so quickly made him as proud as becoming world champion, Martin replied: “Yeah, for sure. I’m really happy to be back at my top level. I think now I am a better rider than I was in 2024, for sure.”
He said the difficult times contributed to that improvement, and stressed that his relationship with Aprilia remains strong despite his plans to move to Yamaha for 2027.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing; Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing; Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing
Photo by: Marc Fleury
“Well, I always say that I am grateful for the bad things that happened to me, because if you take that as something to improve, something to learn from it, it just makes you a better man. So all the bad things that happened to me make me the man that I am today,” he added.
“I am here at Aprilia and I will defend these colours [as long as] I am with them. So I’m really happy to have this relationship also and to be so united with Aprilia at this moment.”
After being caught and overtaken by Martin late in the race, and losing a straight Sunday fight to the 2026 version of his teammate for the first time, Marco Bezzecchi has plenty to think about after the French GP. He still holds a slender one-point lead in the championship, but the bad news for him is that Martin believes there is more improvement to come in his relationship with the bike.
“We still don’t have my base [set-up],” said the Madrid native. “So I’m working on that. And I think this will be the key during the future races to find it. So, let’s say after the summer break, I can have ‘my’ bike and I just get to ride it.”
MotoGP
Jorge Martin’s French GP win comes one year after Aprilia contract saga