Aprilia's Jorge Martin, last year's MotoGP champion, is reportedly leaving the team after invoking a clause in his contract that allows him to do just that, according to our brethren over at Motorsport.
According to the outlet, "The version [of Martin's contract] accepted by Aprilia, [was that] Martin’s representatives included a clause granting him full freedom to accept offers from other teams if he was not among the title contenders after last Sunday’s French GP at Le Mans." At present, he's not, though that has less to do with Aprilia's race machine and more to do with Martin's injuries, which have prevented him from racing for basically the entire season so far, along with one particularly gnarly crash that nearly killed him.
Martin still seems adamant about leaving the team, according to the report, though it further states that Aprilia is likely to fight the MotoGP rider's contract clause.
Yet, if Martin is successful in leaving the team due to being unhappy with the machine, the team, among other gripes, where the hell is he going to go? That's the question I pose right now, as looking at the field, there aren't really any obvious options for the reigning champion.
I don't get why Martin would do this?
The way I see it, Martin has two options to explore. Find a team that's worse off right now, but possibly has a better future once the new regulations come into play. Or he can retire. And I'm sorta leaning toward him just calling it quits.
Right now, there's a single seat that's likely open for next season at Honda. And, despite Zarco's amazing showing in Le Mans over the weekend, that ain't gonna happen again this season. So it'd be an odd choice for Martin to go to Honda unless the team made some serious progress that we aren't privy to at present. And by that, I mean they've created a hypersonic weapon in secret and are just waiting to reveal it come the rule change.
I've yet to read the headline, "Honda partners with MTT for new turbine-charged V4 for MotoGP." But maybe it's coming?
Every other team, however, would have to break a contract of one of their current riders. And while there are riders on the cusp of getting dropped for various reasons throughout the field, the seats where Martin could accomplish anything but mid-pack are likely not what he's angling for, if he's angling for anything. That, however, leads me to him possibly retire.
Martin's season thus far has been exactly one race. He was injured during the pre-season, which precluded him from taking part for a while, and then he suffered one of the nastiest crashes I've seen, landing him in the ICU for a while. He broke 11 ribs, injured his chest, and nearly died. Yes, he's only 27 years old, but like a lot of other riders on the field, Martin is put together with pins and plates, has broken nearly everything, and despite great helmets and airbag suits, is basically held together with hopes and prayers.
Those injuries tend to creep up on you and then smack you upside the head in short order. And Martin's suffered a handful of those smacks over his career.
He's also already a world champion. I get that racers want to keep racing. But maybe he's had enough? Maybe he'll pull a Nico Rosberg and win the championship, retire, and then just start a YouTube channel or commentate here and there. Live long enough to become an older statesman.
Because, well, where does Jorge Martin go from here? I just don't know.
