Why Jorge Martin burst into tears at MotoGP Hungarian GP

MotoGP champion Jorge Martin is making inroads on his road to recovery, following his early-season injuries.

The Aprilia rider returned to racing at Brno, just before the summer break, then took part in the Austria-Hungary double-header with a high of fourth at Balaton Park – just over three seconds behind team-mate Marco Bezzecchi.

«I once doubted whether I could be competitive again when I was injured,» Martin confessed. «But from the moment I returned in Brno, I knew I could do well.

«Hungary was a race to continue learning. I went out with zero expectations, giving it my all, without worrying about the results.

«For me, the best thing about the weekend is that I continued to improve, I know the bike better, I feel more comfortable, and I can ride more and more in my own style.»

Martin explained he was still «at 90% physical fitness» but didn’t feel any pain anymore. On the psychological side, having endured tough times since joining Aprilia – not only due to his injury but also to his failed switch to Honda for 2026 – the Spaniard has been savouring his comeback all the more.

«After the race, when I got to the pits, I broke down with my girlfriend, crying, because when you’re so unwell and you doubt yourself so much, it’s a complicated and difficult process to explain,» the 27-year-old related. «But now I’m healthy and I trust myself more than I did before the injury. So this injury has made me grow.»

Martin’s work with Aprilia on his adaption to the RS-GP25 paid off with «a very big change to the rear of the bike» on Sunday at Balaton Park.

«It allowed me to ride much more comfortably,» the Spaniard explained. «I could turn better, stop the bike, and have more grip. It’s the path I want to go, but there are still details to be worked out. On Sunday on the grid, we were still changing handlebars, so we can get an idea of ​​the adaptation process we’re going through. There are still many things to change before I can reach 100 percent with this bike.

«The flow was almost complete. I’m still lacking a bit under braking. When I stop the bike hard and aggressively, it gets a little out of whack, and I’m very close to the limit at the apex of the corner. But with the rear end and throttle control, I’m starting to feel completely natural.

«I’m still struggling with the height adjustment; I have trouble finding the button on the handlebars, and I struggle to achieve maximum acceleration compared to other bikes, but little by little, we’ll find the method to be able to use it normally.»

Having gained 12 positions on the new Hungarian track, where overtaking was deemed difficult, Martin overtook no fewer than nine rivals on lap 1 – and eventually had to refrain from entertaining podium hopes.

«I was very competitive – even in the final part of the race I was closing in on Marco, who was in third. I got a little heated there, but I immediately tried to calm down and not do more than necessary to achieve a fourth place, which tastes really good,» he said.

«It was a race in which I learned a lot, starting from very far back, with a lot of stress at the start. A race that will make me stronger for the future.»

As far as his goals for the remainder of the campaign are concerned, Martin elusively remarks: «I don’t know. I don’t want to set a date, a day, or a circuit. It’s going to happen, I’m absolutely sure, it’s probably going to happen this year. I don’t want to focus so much on the result as on the progress, feeling closer and closer, catching up with my rivals and my team-mate.

«I want Aprilia to grow, because what’s more important than this year is next year. We have to create a solid foundation, a consistent project, with which we can fight for something bigger next season.»