MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Jorge Martin has described the opening day of the 2026 Buriram MotoGP test as a turning point in his adaptation to the Aprilia Racing RS-GP, admitting it was the first time he truly felt the machine was “my bike”.
The 2024 MotoGP world champion missed the Sepang test earlier this month after undergoing multiple operations in December to address pre-existing injuries. That setback meant Martin arrived in Thailand with limited mileage, having completed just seven race weekends on the RS-GP during an injury-affected maiden campaign with Aprilia last year.
Following the Valencia test in November, Martin openly acknowledged that he still felt “like a rookie” in certain aspects of riding the Aprilia. However, Saturday’s running at Buriram suggested a notable shift. He made a strong start in the opening session and ended the day 13th overall, describing the experience as a promising foundation for the new season.
“It was about continuing my rhythm a bit at this track. But I feel good,” Martin said.
“The job they did in Malaysia was super, and the work during the winter was also very good.”
“I’m happy that everything comes really naturally; I don’t have to override like in the past.”
A key factor behind his improved confidence has been ergonomic changes introduced by Aprilia. Adjustments to body position and weight distribution appear to have unlocked a more intuitive connection between rider and machine.
“Maybe today is the first day I’ve felt like this is my bike,” he added.
“We changed my body position on the bike, moving the weight a bit.”
“And straight away I felt really good. So we will continue in this position.”
Martin also credited the structured test programme for allowing him to focus on rhythm rather than constant experimentation. With fewer parts to evaluate on day one, he was able to approach the session as if preparing for a race weekend.
“The good thing is I didn’t have a lot of things to try. I was quite relaxed.”
“I was just riding like I was preparing for a race weekend.”
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that development responsibilities will increase in the coming sessions, particularly in supporting team-mate and the wider technical direction of the project.
“Now I will try some parts because I need to help Marco develop the bike.”
After a disrupted 2025 season and a limited winter build-up, Buriram has provided Martin with tangible progress in comfort and confidence. Whether that early momentum can be translated into competitive results will become clearer when the 2026 MotoGP season officially begins with the Thai Grand Prix.
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