Jorge Martin on Ducati: “Contracts Mean Nothing to the Manufacturers”

• Martin had already signed a factory contract for the 2023 season in 2022, which Ducati subsequently did not honor.
• The factory seat went to Enea Bastianini instead; a second attempt to move up in 2025 was blocked by Marc Marquez.
• A switch to Yamaha is planned for 2027, which Martin attributes to his expectations for the new technical regulations.

Jorge Martin is one of those riders whose career is closely tied to Ducati yet ultimately led him away from the Borgo Panigale manufacturer. His step up to MotoGP came in 2021 with the then-satellite team Pramac, and in 2024 he clinched the world championship title on the Ducati. In the podcast series “Gypsy Tales,” he has now spoken at length about the background that shaped his path. The conversation touched not only on sporting achievements but also on contracts that, by his account, proved far less binding than expected.

What did Jorge Martin say about his Ducati contract?

Martin revealed that he had already signed a contract for a factory role in the 2023 season back in 2022, only for the deal to fall through. He described the moment he was informed of the decision: “In 2022, I had already signed the contract for 2023 to be a factory rider, and at a certain point they told me, ‘You’re not going there; we don’t want you; we want another rider.'” He called the episode crazy and stressed that almost no one knew about it.

Instead of the factory seat, Martin stayed at Pramac, where he continued to ride a factory-spec bike. He said he accepted the situation because the machinery itself remained largely the same. The seat alongside Francesco Bagnaia went to Enea Bastianini, who had won four races in 2022 with Gresini on a previous-year Ducati and finished the season third in the championship.

Why did Jorge Martin not get the Ducati factory seat?

The central reason was that Ducati chose other riders despite Martin delivering on track. In 2023, he finished as runner-up in the championship and came very close to victories in the final races. He explains that the factory team wanted to bring him back, but was already contractually committed to another rider. From this, he draws a broader conclusion: “Contracts mean nothing to the big manufacturers; they play games with us riders.”

At the 2023 season finale in Valencia, it also emerged that Martin could have moved to the factory team for 2024 under one condition: winning the title. That year’s world championship was claimed by Bagnaia, and Ducati kept Bastianini for the second year of his contract.

What role did Marc Marquez play in the second Ducati setback?

A second time, the move to the factory team fell through because of Marc Marquez. For 2025, Martin was considered the leading candidate and initially received the green light ahead of the Italian GP, before Ducati reversed course after Marquez publicly declared he would not accept a factory-spec bike at Pramac. Ducati signed Marquez alongside Bagnaia, which ultimately prompted Martin to leave the manufacturer entirely.

Martin draws a comparison to four-wheeled motorsport, recalling the Formula 1 switch in which Carlos Sainz lost his seat to Lewis Hamilton: “When I think back on it, it also reminds me of when Carlos Sainz lost his seat to Hamilton.” About his own situation, he says: “Marquez’s words carry a lot of weight, and if he wanted that bike, he would have taken it. There was nothing I could do.” At the time of the decision, he was leading the championship by 40 points.

The move to Aprilia and the difficult 2025 season

After parting ways with Ducati, Martin signed a two-year contract with Aprilia, a move that surprised even team principal Massimo Rivola. As reigning world champion, he relocated to Noale. The first year proved problematic, however: a string of injuries was followed by a contractual dispute in which Martin attempted to trigger an exit clause. Series organizer Dorna reportedly blocked an early departure in order to enforce contract compliance. In the end, Martin fulfilled the second year of his Aprilia deal.

He remains guarded about the specifics of that dispute. He says the public does not know what happened internally and never will, because no one involved intends to talk about it.

Why is Jorge Martin switching to Yamaha in 2027?

Martin attributes his planned 2027 move to Yamaha primarily to the upcoming technical regulation changes. He believes the Japanese manufacturers will benefit: “I always thought that ’27 is the year of the Japanese.” In his view, less power, reduced aerodynamics, and higher corner speeds favor a return of Honda and Yamaha to the front.

Martin reportedly held talks with Honda as early as 2025, with a three-year offer said to have been on the table. The switch to Yamaha is considered a done deal pending final confirmation after the Concorde Agreement is concluded; there, Martin will succeed Fabio Quartararo. In the current 2026 MotoGP season, his situation heading into the ninth round at Brno sees him trailing teammate Marco Bezzecchi by 20 points, and he has said he will not be fully fit for the race.

How did the setbacks change Martin’s mindset?

The past years have primarily changed Martin’s mental approach, by his own account. After losing the title fight in Valencia, he initially lost his desire to race. During that period, he sought professional support: “I started working with a psychologist, and he told me I was afraid of losing again.”

That work gave him a different understanding of success. He describes how he learned more about himself in the past two years than in the 24 years before, and sums up his new perspective: “Victory isn’t the result; it’s the story of your career.”

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