I'm sorry, but who the hell is running Aprilia's MotoGP team, and why do they lack a single ounce of spinal column when it comes to their contracted rider, but who's basically missed his entire career at the team so far, Jorge Martin? I mean, I know the team boss is Massimo Rivola, but have some freakin' dignity, man. Martin may be a world champion, but he's also the most drama-filled rider in the paddock and, at this point, he's not worth the groveling.
My ire at Aprilia's Rivola stems from the current lunacy revolving around Martin announcing that, after only completing two races this season, his first season of a contracted two for the team, he's decided to break said contract and leave for supposedly better pastures. Honda is the rumored favorite. But the reason he's with Aprilia in the first place is because Ducati passed him over for rival Marc Marquez for the factory seat. So there was already a messiness about the rider.
Right now, though, Aprilia says Martin can't break the contract, Martin's manager says he's out, Martin himself announced his leaving, and the whole thing is likely up for the courts to decide. Yet, Rivola and Aprilia made concessions and lobbied MotoGP to do an in-season test, something beyond what the regulations normally allow, so Martin could see what the current spec motorcycle has to offer so he stays at the team.
But come on, Rivola. Martin made his bed. Let him lie in it and see how this constant switching of teams will absolutely inevitably hurt his career. See how breaking multiple contracts will affect him. Let him burn his bridges.
This whole fiasco started ahead of the season, when he was injured twice during pre-season testing. That sidelined Martin for the following three rounds. He then came back in Qatar, only to see himself in the hospital again after getting run over. He's been sidelined ever since, missing race after race, and only ever riding Aprilia's racer on two outings.
Obviously, the injuries aren't his fault. And his crash in Qatar nearly killed him. So you have to give him credit for even attempting to make a comeback. But during his recovery, Martin announced he'd be breaking his Aprilia contract, and having never really given the team any chance of succeeding with him piloting the race bike. And then, after a public spat between him, his manager, and Aprilia, where the team said they're looking at how to enforce Martin's contract, Rivola petitions a rule change with MotoGP to allow Martin to have an in-season test day to show him why he should stay.
That's where I call bullshit.
According to our sister publication Motorsport, who spoke with the team's sporting director, Paolo Bonora, the director stated, "We’re waiting for the doctors to clear Jorge. Once that happens, and thanks to the regulation change we ourselves proposed, we’ll be able to organize a test day. He added, "As I said, we’ll take advantage of the new regulation, which we proposed, and set up a special one-day test so Jorge can get back on the bike before he returns to racing."
Aprilia has three other test sessions already scheduled for the rest of the year, though none of them were supposed to allow for Martin to test the bike. They're for engineering and other tests, not seeing if the team can woo back a rider who clearly doesn't want to be there, who doesn't care about the wake of his leaving mid-season after never really racing for the team, and who's pulled this stunt before. And as I mentioned earlier, Martin went to Aprilia because he got pissy with Ducati after they went with Marquez. Clearly, he has a chip on his shoulder, despite being a world champion.
Honestly, if the rumors of Honda picking up Martin next year are true, good freakin' luck. I wouldn't trust that dude at all, and I'd have my lawyers look over whatever contract he and manager Albert Valera propose with a microscope to ensure you have an iron-clad document.
But again, Rivola, have a spine. Just cut his ass loose already.
