The 2025 season started in an unusual way, as the reigning champion Jorge Martin is sidelined due to an injury. His absence has been one of the major talking points so far, mostly because his return date is still uncertain.

Martin's problems began in February on the first day of testing in Sepang, where he managed only 13 laps before crashing and sustaining injuries. As a result of this crash—and an additional training injury he suffered before the season opener—he will officially miss the first three races of the season. His return is currently planned for the Qatar Grand Prix in April, but with almost no practice on his new bike.

Adding to his challenges, Martin is also with a new manufacturer. He made the switch from Ducati to Aprilia, meaning he will need to adapt to a completely different bike. This puts him at a significant disadvantage compared to the rest of the grid.

Martin himself is aware of these difficulties and is calling for a rule change that would allow injured riders to test their MotoGP bike before returning to competition.

“I’d like to make some sort of test before coming back to racing because I’m not feeling really good,” he said in a press conference before the Argentinian Grand Prix.

Aprilia’s CEO, Massimo Rivola, agrees with him. He argued that allowing injured riders to have a test session before racing again would not only improve their safety but also make the competition more fair.

However, under the current rules, riders recovering from injury are only allowed to train on standard production bikes, like the Aprilia RSV4, instead of their actual MotoGP bikes. Rivola believes this rule should change, especially since Japanese teams already have certain testing advantages due to technical concessions.

“If someone has missed multiple races, they should have a chance to test their MotoGP bike before racing again,” Rivola explained. “It’s safer for the riders and better for the sport.”

Rivola also pointed out that last year, Alex Rins faced a similar situation, missing multiple races due to injury. With MotoGP’s current weekend format—where riders must be competitive from the very first practice session—jumping back in without preparation is incredibly difficult.

Aprilia is now pushing for an exception that would allow Martin to take part in a private test at Misano before the Qatar Grand Prix. The team has already submitted their proposal to MotoGP’s governing body, the Grand Prix Commission, but time is running out.

Will MotoGP approve this rule change? If not, will Martin be forced to race with almost no preparation? We’ll have to wait and see.