Motorsport.com took advantage of the presentation of the Piaggio Group team this Thursday in Milan to speak exclusively with the agent of both riders, Albert Valera.<\/p>\n
Motorsport.com: A year ago, we were here at this very same place with a very ambitious project, with Martin wearing the number 1 and as Aprilia\u2019s main figure. Have things changed a lot since then?<\/p>\n
Albert Valera: You have to live in the present. A year ago, Jorge was coming off winning the world championship; now we\u2019re coming from a very difficult season.<\/p>\n
But we\u2019re here with a lot of excitement; we\u2019re back to having the 89 on the bike, with the same desire and motivation as always \u2014 I\u2019d even say more, because after such a tough year he values the profession he has even more and what he has achieved so far.<\/p>\n
I see Jorge [is] very positive and aware of what he can still accomplish. He has a lot of confidence that this year he can fight for the world championship until the end; that is his goal.<\/p>\n
MS: We all know what happened last year with the famous Aprilia exit clause. It has been said that everything has been reset and forgotten. Has the wound healed, or is it still open?<\/p>\n
AV:\u00a0From our side, it\u2019s not open. We understand that Aprilia did everything they could to retain Jorge. They understand that we had our reasons for doing what we did. There has always been professional respect; each side did its job. In any conflict or disagreement, you have to look for the positive side, and if there\u2019s something good, we take from it, it\u2019s that Aprilia really fought for Jorge – because they believed in him and they still believe in him today. And that\u2019s something we value very highly.<\/p>\n
MS: We know riders are made of different stuff, but after getting hurt every time he went out on track last year, can the word \u2018fear\u2019 enter Martin\u2019s vocabulary?<\/p>\n
AV: No. Jorge is a lion, like the one they\u2019ve put on the bike (the livery). He\u2019s a bull who has no fear, and the best proof of that is the start he made in Japan, which ended up causing him an injury.<\/p>\n
A rider with fear doesn\u2019t make starts like that. Quite the opposite: Jorge is a very bold rider, with a lot of motivation and energy, and if he channels it like he did in 2024, he can win another world championship.<\/p>\n
MS: The gurus say that the rider market is going to move very early this year; both Marco Bezzecchi<\/a> and Jorge finish their contracts at the end of 2026. In what scenario do you think Aprilia will operate?<\/p>\n AV: I think that right now Aprilia is the second-best bike after Ducati \u2014 or I\u2019d even dare to say at the same level. That has turned them into a very attractive option for any rider. They\u2019ve shown they are a great family and a great project. After last year\u2019s disagreement, we\u2019ve seen that they have continued to treat Jorge the same or even better, and they trust him again. So I\u2019d say Aprilia is on pole position for many riders\u2026<\/p>\n MS: Including Mart\u00edn?<\/p>\n AV: For Jorge, it is an option, indeed.<\/p>\n MS: But on pole, or on the second row?<\/p>\n AV: I\u2019ll tell you that in a few weeks, but yes, it\u2019s a very serious option to consider, because they deserve it and, today, together with Ducati, they have the best bike.<\/p>\n Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team<\/p>\n Photo by: Javier Soriano – AFP – Getty Images<\/p>\n Factory team the first option for Acosta<\/p>\n![\"Pedro](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pedro-acosta-red-bull-ktm-fact.jpg\")
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