Martin's big challenge: Emulating Rossi's 2004 win on Aprilia debut

In 2024, Jorge Martin became the first rider in the MotoGP era to win the title with a satellite team, beating the same-spec factory Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia.

It was a feat not seen in the premier class since Valentino Rossi won the 500cc title with the Honda Europe-managed Nastro Azzurro team in 2001 and Eddie Lawson claimed top honours in 1989 on a Honda entered by the private Rothmans team.

With the goal of winning the championship now achieved, the next big challenge Martin faces is winning his first race with Aprilia, something that will be particularly difficult in an era dominated by Ducati.

However, the possibility is there, and the precedent of a defending world champion winning his maiden race with a different manufacturer was set by Rossi in 2004.

After four seasons with Honda between 2000-2003 during which he won three titles and 33 grands prix, Rossi decided to prove to the Japanese manufacturer that he was making the difference, and not the bike, by signing for Yamaha during its worst period in the premier class.

Unexpectedly, on his debut with the Iwata-based brand, Rossi won the now-legendary South African GP at Welkom on 18 April 2004, having arrived to the team as a defending champion. The result set the tone for the rest of the year, and Rossi ended up lifting his fourth premier class title.

Valentino Rossi

Photo by: Gold and Goose

Martin, like Rossi, arrives at a new manufacturer after winning the 2024 title with Ducati.

The 2025 season will kick off with the Thailand Grand Prix at the Chang International Circuit, a track where he achieved a double win in 2023. He also finished second in both races at Buriram last year, underlining how he is consistently quick at that track - at least on a Desmosedici.

However, winning a race with Aprilia will not be easy since Ducati appears to have the ‘dream team’ on paper, having signed six-time champion Marc Marquez to partner its protege Francesco Bagnaia. But given Aprilia was the only manufacturer other than Ducati to score a race win in 2024, then Martin has to be favourite to spring a major upset to the GP25 runners this year.

Stoner a specialist in winning first races

Only Rossi has been able to arrive at a new factory as the reigning champion and win his first race with his new employer. However, the full list of riders who switched manufacturers - or even teams - and won their first race with them includes several illustrious names, including MotoGP legend Casey Stoner.

The Australian made his debut in the premier class in 2006 with LCR Honda and moved to the official Ducati team the following year. On his debut with the Italian marque at the 2007 Qatar GP, Stoner surprised everyone by taking a monumental victory, three seconds clear of Rossi’s Yamaha and nine seconds in front of Honda rider Dani Pedrosa.

But Stoner did not stop there. After four seasons at Ducati, the Australian decided to switch brands again in 2011, joining the official Honda structure on a third bike to partner Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso.

Podium: race winner Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda Team, second place Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing, third place Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

In his first appearance with the RC213V, again at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, Stoner took victory ahead of Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo and his new team-mates Pedrosa and Dovizioso, both of whom finished more than five seconds behind.

That year the Australian was crowned MotoGP champion for the second time, before announcing his retirement at the end of the 2012 season.

Another rider to take victory in his first race after switching manufacturers was Maverick Vinales.

The now Tech3 KTM rider made his debut in the top class in 2015 with Suzuki and, after two years with the Hamamatsu outfit, he was recruited by Yamaha for 2017. On his first outing aboard the M1, the Spaniard took victory in the Qatar GP ahead of Ducati’s Dovizioso and team-mate Rossi.