Ducati are now pampering MotoGP’s ‘diamond in the rough’ perceived identically to Pedro Acosta

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Ducati are not resting on their laurels with Marc Marquez dominating MotoGP, with the Borgo Panigale team keeping more than one eye on a possible future face of the brand.

It will likely now take more than a miracle for a rider to stop Marquez from becoming a seven-time premier class champion during the 2025 MotoGP season. The 32-year-old hit the 2025 summer break boasting a 120-point lead atop the standings in his first year racing for Ducati.

The Bologna Bullets are very much reaping the rewards from opting to sign Marquez instead of Jorge Martin to replace Enea Bastianini in their factory line-up. After the first 12 of the 22 rounds, Marquez has eight Grand Prix wins and 10 podiums, 11 Sprint wins and seven poles.

Marquez’s dominance has even damaged Francesco Bagnaia’s reputation at Ducati, with the Spaniard showing what their GP25 is capable of. Bagnaia has struggled to adapt to the GP25 all term, and the Italian trails Marquez by 168 points as well as Gresini’s Alex Marquez by 48.

Ducati believe Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer can be a future face of their MotoGP team

But Marc Marquez is not the only Ducati rider to earn the Bologna Bullets’ admiration in the 2025 season. According to Motosprint, Ducati are now keen to ‘pamper and protect’ Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer, as they believe he can become a future face of their MotoGP team.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Fermin Aldeguer with his rise to MotoGP and height

Aldeguer is perceived identically to KTM rival Pedro Acosta, too, with the two Spanish racers regarded as the ‘best prospects of the new generation’. The turning point for Ducati was the double-podium performance that Aldeguer registered at the French Grand Prix back in May.

Ducati signed Aldeguer to a two-year factory contract back in March 2024 for his promotion to MotoGP in 2025, before ultimately placing him at Gresini. After a steady start, their faith paid off when Aldeguer came third in the Le Mans Sprint and even in the proper French GP.

While the 20-year-old has not made another rostrum in the six Grands Prix since, Ducati are really impressed by his ‘inventive and unpredictable’ riding style. So, Ducati are keeping very close tabs on Aldeguer now, knowing that he is a ‘diamond in the rough’ they have to polish.

Giacomo Agostini has backed Fermin Aldeguer to be a future factory Ducati rider

Ducati are convinced they have a future face for their brand in Aldeguer, with his speed now allowing the Murcian to regularly fight near or at the front of the field. As well as his pair of P3s at Le Mans, Aldeguer came P5 in the Qatar and German GPs and P6 in the Aragon GP.

Aldeguer also secured another Sprint podium with P3 at Aragon, and his continued gains on a GP24 at Gresini might yet lead to a greater role with Ducati. Dorna would welcome Ducati giving Aldeguer a factory bike in 2026, with their third factory GP26 potentially up for grabs.

Additionally, what Gresini have relished from the rookie has seen Giacomo Agostini suggest Ducati should look at replacing Bagnaia with Aldeguer, should the Italian ever look to leave Borgo Panigale. Agostini believes Aldeguer, who won eight races in Moto2, is “very strong”.