The new MotoGP champion Jorge Martin has hinted at the possibility of returning to Ducati in the future, despite past tensions with the manufacturer.

Martin expressed an open mind about working with Ducati again, even after their decision to overlook him for a factory seat. Martin was initially the frontrunner to replace Enea Bastianini, but Ducati instead chose Marc Marquez. This unexpected move led Martin to cut ties with Ducati, the brand he had been with since his MotoGP debut four years ago. Martin signed a multi-year contract with Aprilia, starting from 2025.

Though Martin still has some hard feelings about Ducati’s decision, he has publicly acknowledged their role in his 2024 title-winning campaign. Speaking at the Campioni in Festa event, where he remained contractually bound to Ducati until December 31, Martin said, “I can only thank Ducati. They’ve given me so much. They gave me the opportunity to enter MotoGP, which is already very difficult.”

“When I arrived, the Desmosedici wasn’t a winning bike. It wasn’t an easy project, but both they and I believed in ourselves. And then they gave me the chance to fight for a world championship. None of you [in the media] thought it would end like this, but it did. I won the title.”

Reflecting on the possibility of a future reunion, he added, “I can only thank Ducati for this, and maybe in the future, we can work together again.”

Martin's first title challenge came in 2023, but he fell short against Francesco Bagnaia, admitting he wasn’t "ready" yet. He returned stronger in 2024, focusing on consistency rather than outright speed, and made history as the first rider in a while to win the championship on a satellite bike.

When asked if he believed he could win at the start of the season, Martin was confident: “Yes, of course. As Gigi [Dall’Igna] said, if you start the season thinking you won’t win, you might as well go home. I don’t need the headache otherwise.”

In 2025, Martin will mark a new chapter with Aprilia, which finished third in the constructors’ standings in 2024 and was the only brand to secure a grand prix victory against Ducati. Martin acknowledged the challenges ahead but welcomed the motivation to succeed with a less dominant team.

“We’ll start from scratch and learn as we go,” he said of his move. “Maybe we’ll start strong and achieve great things, or maybe we’ll struggle and have to improve. Either way, I think it will be very rewarding.”

Admitting the difficulty of leaving a winning project like Ducati, Martin noted, “This is a big challenge. It’s not easy to switch from a proven, championship-winning bike to one that’s not at the same level right now. But I’m confident and motivated. Staying with Ducati, already being a world champion, would have been great, but this new project gives me even more drive to prove myself in the world of motorcycles.”