Jorge Martin is set to replace Fabio Quatararo at Yamaha for the 2027 MotoGP season and Aprilia may be responsible for the Spaniard’s decision to leave the team.
The 2026 campaign gets underway this week with a shakedown test in Sepang. However, the first day of the Malaysian track action was overshadowed by shocking news Quattararo will leave Yamaha and join Honda in 2027 After agreeing to a two-year contract.
Quattararo lost patience with Yamaha after winning 72 laps, betting on a better-equipped Honda for the start of the 2027 MotoGP regulations.
Yamaha are now wasting no time in signing a big-name replacement for Quattro, with 2024 champion Martin expected to become the 2021 champion at Iwata. Martin and Yamaha are completing a two-year contract. That will see the 28-year-old leave Aprilia when his deal expires.
What is Fabio Quatararo’s body language telling us here?
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Aprilia’s delay in offering George Martin a new contract convinced Yamaha to join.
Aprilia They can be responsible themselves Martin Agree to replace Quatararo as if Yamaha In 2027, too. Engine script Martin reports that timing was the ‘key’ factor behind his decision to switch teams after a year at Nole, with Yamaha set to make an early move for him.
Read more: Yamaha’s five best riders from Valentino Rossi to Jorge Lorenzo
CEO Massimo Rivola has confirmed that Aprilia plans to wait before offering Martin a new contract For the 2027 season, Martin has started seven of the eight Grands Prix he has entered as the Italian team looks to see what it can do after an injury-riddled 2025 season.
But if Aprilia needs patience and Yamaha decides to drop the Quattroro, it has been in talks with Martin for several weeks as he plans to do so. Martin’s Manager, Albert ValeraThey are now trying to finalize their talks with Yamaha.
Valera wants Yamaha and Martin to sign the contract for the Japanese manufacturer for the 2027 and 2028 seasons as soon as possible and sees the first race of the 2026 campaign in Thailand as the ‘worst’ option. Valera doesn’t want Martin’s future to be too long.
Aprilia wanted to see how George Martin would get back to full health after his injury woes.
Who do you want as George Martin’s 2027 Yamaha team partner?
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Buriram will host the 2026 MotoGP season-opener on March 1 and Valera will want Martin to race with a clear head after returning from injury. Martin will miss the Sepang test due to injury.2025 after undergoing surgery in December to correct two injuries.
Martin will need further surgery ahead of the 2025 season to address a fractured left hand suffered in training and a fractured right collarbone sustained in a sprint at the Japanese Grand Prix. He returned early from both injuries in 2025.
In the year After joining from Pramac in 2025, Aprilia saw Martin’s time at Noale start with a crash at the Sepang test, which saw him break his right arm and left leg. He also broke 11 ribs and suffered a life-threatening haemopneumothorax during his debut for Aprilia at the Qatar GP.
So, before Aprilia decides on its future, Martin wanted to see how it would fare with the full RS-GP in 2026. But Yamaha were ready to move early, and Honda is still interested in signing Martin for the 2027 season. After coming close to signing the Spaniard last year.
