Jorge Martin (Aprilia) is still surprised to be leading the World Championship, even in England

MotoGP bids farewell to the short summer break on the British Isles – the second half of the 2026 season, comprising 22 events, gets underway at Silverstone. Somewhat surprisingly, Jorge Martin sits at the top of the standings. Although the 2024 champion did not particularly impress with outstanding individual results, he more than made up for it by consistently picking up points and as a rider who made fewer mistakes at crucial moments. The Hungarian Grand Prix was an inglorious exception, when Martin misjudged the situation after the start and took three Aprilia riders out of the race.

Another curious fact: Martin holds both the World Championship lead and the top spot in the crash statistics. In eleven events, Martin crashed 16 times; in Catalunya alone, it was seven. For Martin, this remains a good illustration of his situation: “In the first part of the season, we found a good way forward and established a solid foundation. But in trying to improve further, we didn’t make any progress. On the contrary: in Barcelona we got ourselves into a bit of a mess; I had seven crashes, including the test, and that really dented my confidence.”

Jorge Martin geht als MotoGP-Spitzenreiter in die zweite Saisonhälfte

Foto: Gold and Goose

Martin continued: “But I think we’ve put that behind us. We’ve now gathered so much information that I hope we can get back on track.” The Aprilia rider also spoke about his collaboration with his crew chief, Daniele Romagnoli. “I’d already worked with Daniele for four years at Ducati, and we have a great deal of experience; we actually always know what needs to be done. But the two of us had to learn that all over again at Aprilia, and we’re still short of time. Another test would be very good – but we don’t have time for that, so we have to make the most of Fridays to understand even more.”

The ‘Martinator’ delivered the key message with a twinkle in his eye: “I’m surprised myself to be right at the front. Sure, I’ve finished plenty of races and often scored points – but I’ve had my share of problems too. One thing’s for sure: I don’t feel like the championship leader right now; some of the lads are currently stronger on the track. And that’s something we need to change. The good news is – the potential is there.”

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Interestingly, in 2025 Jorge Martin had to miss the Silverstone Grand Prix due to injury. Ahead of last year’s races, Martin had caused a stir by announcing he was leaving Aprilia early due to a lack of competitiveness. Team-mate Bezzecchi silenced the Spaniard on Sunday with a victory. Martin has fond memories of 2024. Back then, he picked up crucial points on his way to the title with two second-place finishes.