Despite retiring at the end of last season, Aleix Espargaro continues to make headlines and the elder Espargaro brother is back in the spotlight once again after questioning why Aprilia is attempting to “force” Jorge Martin to stay at the team against his will.

The Spaniard shares the same agent as Martin, Albert Valera, and enjoys a close friendship with the reigning champion. The two are also neighbours in Andorra, where they are often seen together off the track.

Espargaro, who raced for Aprilia in MotoGP from 2017 until 2024, tends to be far more outspoken than most of his peers. The result is that Espargaro’s voice often carries more weight in the open conflict between Martin and Aprilia, which the 2024 MotoGP champion is looking to part ways with at the end of the season.

Beyond his personal bond with the #1 rider, Espargaro played a crucial role in Aprilia’s development, spending eight seasons with the team and securing his three MotoGP victories with it. His commitment ran so deep that he even got a tattoo on his right forearm that reads “Capitano,” symbolising his importance to the project.

After hanging up his helmet as a full-time rider at the end of last year, Espargaro now serves as a test rider for Honda. The Japanese brand he now rides for is the very manufacturer interested in signing Martin should he manage to resolve the dispute with Aprilia.

With the Martin-Aprilia crisis in full swing, Espargaro was asked for his take on the positions of all parties involved. Notably, his comments came shortly after Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP championship promoter Dorna, stepped in to warn Martin that he won’t be registered for the upcoming season unless a consensual solution is reached – either through an agreement or by legal means.

“It’s a very sad and tough situation for both sides, and I can understand them both,” Espargaro said in the Netherlands, where he finished last after being overtaken by Somkiat Chantra in the closing stages of the race. 

“But if there’s a clause allowing Martin to leave a team, and he doesn’t want to be there, I don’t understand why the other side would force someone to stay where they don’t want to be.”

Beyond Martin, who is in the final stage of his recovery from injury, the figure perhaps taking the biggest hit throughout this ordeal is his agent Valera. It was he who introduced the clause in the contract between Martin and Aprilia, which he now hopes will allow his client to be released from his obligations to the Italian manufacturer for next year.  

“It’s a very difficult time for Albert, who, in my opinion, is the best manager in the paddock. I’ve worked with other agents, and when he drafts a contract, no one does it like him,” Espargaro stressed.

Espargaro’s comments are just the latest instalment in the dispute between Martin and Aprilia, which has rumbled on since May. After the story was first broken by Motorsport.com, the saga is now entering a new phase as the conflict continues to escalate.