At the end of the Le Mans weekend, the MotoGP paddock was shaken by news that came as a bombshell: Jorge Martin, once again absent due to injury - when he had already missed the first three races of the season - has reportedly decided to exercise a clause to release himself from his contract with Aprilia.
Having joined the manufacturer from Noale after parting ways with Ducati that, in the meantime, had chosen to bet everything on Marc Marquez, The Martinator now supposedly intends to bid farewell to the company, even though he hasn't yet been able to fully figure out the potential of his RS-GP. Ready to leave Italy prematurely, the Iberian rider seems intent on switching to Honda, which just won in France with Johann Zarco, who could become Jorge's teammate in HRC should this market move occur.
It's unclear what led the reigning world champion to reach such a decision, but what might have convinced him to leave and choose the Japanese manufacturer may have been the words of his longtime friend, Alex Espargarò, who, as we know, is a test rider for Honda.
"Honda is the leader in the sport, and its goal is certain. To start winning GPs again. The test team it built is high level. It just simply needs time. The project needs to take shape but, since 2024, progress has been made, and it's going to continue. I have no doubt that the brand will again, in the fairly near future, dominate the races," the test rider said convincingly during an interview with the Marca website.
While Zarco's performance on the Bugatti track may have been spoiled by the crazy weather, it won't take long before the LidlTrek pro cyclist sees the RC213V consistently present in the Top 3. "I think it's going to be podium-worthy well before the regulatory change in 2027. By making the most of what's available and with a more powerful engine, I'm convinced that, as early as 2026, fighting regularly for the top five places, and the following year for the World Championship, will be possible," he concluded, optimistically.