Jorge Martin seals comeback from nightmare 2025: 'I'm as proud as when I won the world title'

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Jorge Martin says his comeback from a series of injuries and a contractual dispute in 2025 makes him as proud as his 2024 MotoGP title - adding that he is now a better rider.

On Sunday in France, the Spaniard made a symbolic return to the pinnacle of MotoGP by winning his first grand prix since his title campaign with Pramac Ducati two years ago.

Between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2026, Martin endured multiple injuries and missed the majority of the races. Whilst on the sidelines, he also tried to wriggle out of his deal with Aprilia - a controversial story broken by Motorsport.com. The 28-year-old has also spoken frequently about his mental battles during 2025's low moments.

But this year has been a far smoother ride, as Martin already had a couple of sprint wins to his name as he lined up for the start at Le Mans on Sunday. All that was missing in his return to full status as a MotoGP frontrunner was a grand prix victory - which he duly delivered less than an hour later.

Asked if reaching his best level so quickly made him as proud as becoming world champion, Martin replied: "Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I'm really happy to be back at my top level. I think now I am a better rider than I was in 2024, for sure."

Martin said that the tough times had contributed to that improvement - and emphasised that the relationship with Aprilia was good despite his intentions to move to Yamaha for 2027.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing, Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing, Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing