Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin has confirmed the end of his long-standing relationship with Red Bull, a partnership that has run through his entire grand prix career, after his Aprilia team signed a rival energy-drink giant as title sponsor.
The catalyst was Aprilia's new multi-year title sponsorship agreement with Monster Energy, unveiled during the 2026 Italian Grand Prix and effective from 2027. With Monster set to adorn the factory Aprilia, there was no longer room for Martin's personal Red Bull backing — a 15-year association that stretches back to the very start of his racing journey.
Martin made clear the decision was taken out of his hands.
"It's something I haven't been able to control," he said.
The Spaniard was careful to frame the split without bitterness, expressing gratitude for a relationship that helped launch his career through the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
"I've been with Red Bull for 15 years and I'll always be grateful for the opportunity they gave me to jump into Rookies Cup," Martin said.
He also acknowledged the commercial logic behind Aprilia's move, conceding that the financial muscle of a title sponsor ultimately flows back into the racing.
"Any financial improvement that can add value to the team ultimately translates into upgrades and developments," Martin said.
Still, the champion did not pretend the parting was permanent or entirely comfortable.
"It's over for now. I don't know if we can get back together someday, but as of today we're not together anymore," he said.
The situation echoes what happened to Marc Marquez when he moved within the Ducati fold, where sponsor conflicts forced a similar realignment of personal backers. In Martin's case, the most visible consequence is what will replace Red Bull's branding on his helmet: the champion will instead promote his new Madrid restaurant, Kumo.
It is a curious twist in a season that has already been turbulent for Martin, whose title defence has been disrupted by crashes and a tense intra-team dynamic at Aprilia. Losing a sponsor that has been a constant presence since his teenage years adds an off-track footnote to an on-track campaign that has rarely gone to plan.
For all the upheaval, Martin's measured response suggests he has made his peace with a change he could not influence. Sponsorship politics rarely make headlines the way race results do, but in the high-stakes world of factory MotoGP, even a world champion can find that some of the biggest decisions are made above his head.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/jorge-martin-red-bull-split-monster-aprilia-2026). Visit for full coverage.*