Following his excellent debut in Thailand, Jorge Martin capped off “the perfect weekend” in Brazil by claiming second place on the podium—the first for Aprilia— after finishing third in yesterday’s sprint race. This Aprilia one-two finish speaks to a Bezzecchi who is increasingly in sync with his bike, but also to a Jorge Martin who is making a strong sporting comeback after a difficult 2025 season.
The Spaniard thus gets to the heart of the matter, admitting that last year, as the world champion he is, his mindset had led him down the wrong path. A year later, with a technically improved Aprilia and a full-scale assault on Ducati’s dominance, a renewed Jorge Martin—strengthened by that long period of difficulty— echoes this sentiment. Martin thus leaves Brazil as the second-place rider in the championship, though he prefers not to think about the title race:“I still have few laps on the Aprilia,” he acknowledges. It will take time to return to 100% physical form, but just two races into this season, Jorge Martin is already making his mark again.
"I'm happy; the emotions are always strong, but yesterday I was a bit happier because after a long struggle I was back," explains Martin. "Today I consolidated that result, and ending the weekend this way is fantastic. I’ve come off five months of focus and training, and this is the result—hard work pays off."
You took advantage of the battle between Marc and Fabio to make your move.
"I was confident I could be faster in the early laps, then, as I was preparing to attack Fabio, Acosta passed me and I had to respond. When I caught up to them, I saw they were going wide at Turn 4, so I stayed ready to take advantage of it, and everything went perfectly. From there, I wanted to conserve my tyres more, but I decided to push. At one point, I even thought I might be able to catch Marco, but I took a risk at Turn 10, and my rivals took advantage of it. I think overall it was a perfect weekend."
This start to the season looks really promising for you and for Aprilia.
"It’s going to be a long season; there’s Marc and, of course, Bez, but I think I can be part of the fight. Obviously, I still need time; I don’t want to set my expectations too high, but I’m a world champion and I’ll try to get results. Marco is a great teammate; we help each other and don’t hide anything. We know that to beat a Marquez who’s this strong, we have to help each other; then on the track, everyone does their own thing. For me, it’s a matter of time; I still need to figure out where to improve and where Aprilia can help me, but I’ll get there.”
It’s been a long battle for you—do you feel like you’re in the fight for the championship?
"Not right now; I still need many more laps on the Aprilia. Marco and his Aprilia are one and the same. I, on the other hand, am just now beginning to understand what the bike demands of me and what I need to improve. This is my second long race; in some laps I feel strong, in others less so. I lack consistency, but the speed is there, and little by little I feel closer and closer to the top riders."
Has your approach to the Aprilia changed as well?
"Last year, I had the mindset of having won and wanted to stay there. But I had a different bike, a different team—mentally, a lot had happened—and I wanted to prove I was strong. Now I’ve let that go; I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’m a two-time world champion , and I’m focusing on myself. I’ve changed a few things to ride this Aprilia, which is different from the Ducati; I feel like I’m back in 2024 with this approach. Thailand was an easy track, but doing it again here means that confidence is building that I can actually pull it off.”
Do these results change your perception of your future?
"Not at all. The future is the future; this is the present, and we have to focus on this. I’ve always had those thoughts, but once I’ve made a decision, I’ll stick to it 100%. But now I’m with Aprilia; we’re in a good place, and we have to enjoy it."