MADRID — Valencia Last year’s MotoGP champion Jorge Martin will make his long-awaited return to the track for the season finale after being declared fit for this weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix, his team Aprilia announced.
The 27-year-old Spaniard has endured a nightmare title defence, missing several rounds and managing to complete just four races as injuries from pre-season testing and crashes in Qatar and Japan decimated his campaign.
Martin suffered a collapsed lung and bruised ribs in Qatar, while his crash in Japan required collarbone surgery that kept him sidelined for multiple rounds.
As he watched from the sidelines, Ducati’s Marc Marquez claimed his crown.
With Martin absent for much of the season, Aprilia shifted their focus to his teammate Marco Bezzecchi, with the Italian now on the verge of sealing third place in the championship behind the Marquez brothers, Marc and Gresini Racing’s Alex.
“I can’t wait to be back with the team. I’m really happy with the way the team is working and I’d like to congratulate Aprilia and Marco on the results they’ve achieved,” Martin had said earlier this week.
“My goal now is to start preparing in the best possible way for next season. Now, it doesn’t make sense to talk about results,” Martin added according to Reuters.
“The important thing is to put in the laps and gather information. I want to grow together with the team so that we’re ready for 2026.”
Martin’s return caps a turbulent year that also saw him embroiled in a contract dispute with Aprilia after announcing his intention to leave ahead of the 2026 season, though he later committed to the Italian outfit.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi delivered a commanding lights-to-flag victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix, claiming his second win of the season and strengthening his grip on third place in the championship with just one round remaining.
The polesitter made amends for a lacklustre Saturday sprint performance, where he could only manage third, by controlling the race from start to finish ahead of Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez and KTM’s Pedro Acosta.
Bezzecchi’s dominance was emphatic, as he finished more than 2.5 seconds clear of Marquez to become the sixth different winner in the last six MotoGP races, while Acosta’s late race pace had him close in on his compatriot but settled for third.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, who is battling with Bezzecchi for third in the championship behind champion Marc Marquez and runner-up Alex, crashed out of fourth place and finds himself 35 points behind before the final round in Valencia.
“It was a fantastic race for me,” Bezzecchi said. “I was super afraid of Pedro and Alex because they were super quick, but I was also very motivated to try to get a win… I’m very happy, super important to be back on the top of the podium.”
