Jorge Martin warned by Aprilia to prepare for a tough start in 2026

Aprilia's Technical Director, Fabiano Sterlacchini, has warned Jorge Martin to "accept to suffer" during the early stages of the 2026 MotoGP season. This caution follows a disastrous, injury-plagued 2025 campaign for the 2024 world champion.

Sidelined by four major injuries since the pre-season, Martin has competed in just six of this year's 20 grands prix.

This has severely limited his time to adapt to the RS-GP bike. While teammates Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez have proven the package is a race winner, Martin's best result has been a fourth-place finish in Hungary. His season was interrupted again in Japan by a fractured shoulder, and he will be out until at least the Valencia finale.

Sterlacchini says that due to the vast amount of missed track time, Martin must accept that the start of 2026 will be an extended adaptation period rather than an immediate title challenge.