Aprilia MotoGP boss Paolo Bonora says reigning world champion Jorge Martin’s go to to the Americas Grand Prix was a “shock” for the manufacturing unit workforce.
After Ducati made a U-turn on its resolution to advertise him to its works squad for 2025 in favour of Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin signed a multi-year cope with Aprilia’s manufacturing unit workforce.
Making an encouraging begin to life at Aprilia within the November Barcelona take a look at final 12 months, by which he was the quickest of the riders swapping producer for 2025, Martin has but to start out a race for the model.
Finishing simply 13 laps on the opening day of testing at Sepang, Martin crashed and suffered a number of fractures, earlier than injuring himself additional in a coaching accident previous to the Thai Grand Prix.
He has been out of motion since, with Martin aiming for a racing return in subsequent month’s Qatar GP.
Forward of his racing return, Martin has come to the Americas Grand Prix as a part of a workforce bonding train and a primary likelihood to know how Aprilia works throughout a race weekend.
Group boss Bonora says his go to was stored a secret from the remainder of the crew.
“Enhance and power are the right phrases, for positive,” he mentioned about Martin’s go to at COTA throughout MotoGP’s world feed protection of FP2 on Saturday.
“It was a shock for the workforce.
“We stored it secret for the workforce, in order that they had been completely excited to see him.
“But it surely was necessary for Jorge to be right here as a result of after many days with out feeling the race state of affairs, it is crucial for him.
“It’s step one to get him into the rhythm.”
Aprilia had been lobbying with MotoGP to open up the laws to permit Martin to have a day of testing previous to his racing comeback.
Below the concession guidelines, solely Yamaha and Honda are allowed to check with their race riders freely in the course of the season.
Whereas an official request was made to the championship, it was not unanimously agreed on by the producers’ affiliation – although Ducati claims it was not the one who stood in the best way of Martin’s take a look at being accepted, as had initially been reported by Aprilia.
