Martin: New Aprilia MotoGP bike is the “biggest” leap forward in recent years

motogp world champion george martin believes Aprilia has made the “biggest” leap forward in recent years with its 2025 prototype.

With Martin joining Aprilia next year after winning his first title with Pramac Ducati, the Spaniard was overlooked for promotion to the factory team. mark marquez,

Madrid native Martín got his first taste of the Aprilia at the post-season test in Barcelona and completed 77 laps during the test, finishing second behind the pacesetter. Alex Marquez,

Although his contractual situation means he is not allowed to talk in detail about the bike until early next year, Martin acknowledged that the Noailles-based manufacturer has taken a significant step forward with the prototype and Marco Bezzecchi Will ride in 2025.

“I can’t say much about the bike, but the look on my face was visible to all of you there,” Martin told Motorsport.com. “I was happy, and I don’t think I could have been happier anywhere else than at Aprilia.

“I think the new package is very interesting, and the leaps the bike has made are the biggest in recent years. The potential is high and it looks great.”

The bike used on the day of testing in Barcelona was an early version of the bike that would be taken to Sepang for pre-season tests in early February.

The appointment of Aprilia as World Champion is the culmination of an internal restructuring undertaken by the Italian manufacturer in all areas.

The shake-up is intended to reduce the gap between Aprilia and Ducati, which has been world champion for the last three years and has one of the most dominant bikes ever with 19 wins out of a possible 20 in 2024.

“There is commitment at Aprilia and I have seen it firsthand,” Martin said. “I see how much they love me and what they would do for me. But they feel the responsibility to be champions.

“We all want to win, but to do so we have to apply a strategy and proper work dynamics.”

When asked to give a verdict on Aprilia’s performance decline in the second half of the 2024 season, which has been a recurring issue in recent years, Martin admitted that he too had no clear answer.

“Aprilia started this year better than ever, but it is true that from Aragon onwards it started to go downhill. It is very complicated to know what happens when you are outside.

“It’s very difficult to understand how you can come from behind and win in Austin, as Maverick did, and in Jerez, immediately after, by more than 11 seconds behind,” Martin said.