Francesco Bagnaia has praised Jorge Martin’s remarkable resurgence in the 2026 MotoGP season, calling it “admirable” as the Aprilia rider mirrors the strategy that earned him the 2024 world title.
Martin dominated the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, winning both the sprint and the main race after a difficult qualifying session. The result moved him to within one point of teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the championship standings.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
The Spaniard’s strong start to 2026 stands in stark contrast to his difficult first year with Aprilia, when he suffered four injuries, struggled for form, and even attempted to trigger an early exit clause in his contract.
Bagnaia, who lost the 2024 title to Martin in a dramatic final-round showdown, sees clear parallels between Martin’s current approach and his championship-winning campaign.
“He’s clearly a title contender,” Bagnaia told Motorsport.com. “He’s using the same strategy he used in 2024 — finishing every race. Here, he finished every race first. But in general, he’s also very good at knowing when to settle for less. That’s a plus. I lost the world championship to him for that very reason.
“When I saw him on Saturday, we both had lunch in the hospitality area at Alpinestar. He looked very relaxed. He knew he could do it today, and he did. I’m very happy for him. He deserves it. Last year was very tough for him. I think he had 21 fractures last year. So, having the strength to come back to this level is admirable. Congratulations to him and especially to Aprilia, which gave him incredible support last year.”
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Gresini rider Alex Marquez also noted that Martin’s form reminds him of his peak years at Ducati, when Martin and Bagnaia were on a different level to the rest of the field. Marquez was particularly impressed by how Martin regained confidence on the Aprilia after multiple surgeries during his injury-plagued 2025 season.
“It is impressive,” Marquez said. “When you see him riding, you see that he goes without fear, with his heart wide open. And for someone who has hurt himself so badly, so many times, it is something strange. The normal thing would be to see him riding a little more rigidly on the bike. Instead, you see that he has enormous confidence, the same [confidence] he had in 2023 or 2024. So, we can only congratulate him, because he is doing a great job.”
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