Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez will ride a factory Ducati bike at Gresini next season. The Borgo Panigale outfit have decided to deploy an additional GP26.
Ducati gave Valentino Rossi first refusal, but he’s decided to stick with this year’s arrangement. Fabio di Giannantonio will be on the most advanced spec, with Franco Morbidelli a year behind.
Ducati promised to reward Marquez for his stellar performances this year. Well on course for second in the championship, he’s the only rider, aside from his brother, to win multiple Grands Prix, and he’s scored eight more podiums than Francesco Bagnaia in third (20 vs 12).
Alex Marquez was already a contender to replace Bagnaia for 2027, and this move clearly strengthens that status. But it’s also a pointed blow to another of the contenders.
Fermin Aldeguer suffers major blow in race for 2027 Ducati seat
Fermin Aldeguer has been called the future of Ducati, having stepped up from Moto2 to race for Gresini this year. With two Grand Prix podiums and two more in the Sprints, he sits eighth in the championship.
As he indicated in a recent interview, Aldeguer is hoping to join Ducati in 2027. But that now looks much less likely.
Ducati have backed out of their commitment to give Aldeguer a factory bike in 2026. Motorsport Espana report that he will be riding a GP25 instead.
He will still have an opportunity to make his case for a promotion on a bike that’s breaking records in the hands of Marc Marquez. But symbolically, this indicates that there are still some reservations over Aldeguer, who was dubbed ‘wild’ by Johann Zarco.
While his highs have been spectacular, his position as the lowest-ranking Ducati reflects his inconsistency. Perhaps this is to be expected for a rookie, but the most talented riders – i.e. those who are Ducati factory calibre – tend to put pressure on the elite more regularly from the outset.
If the initial plan was for the youngster to be on a GP26, then one can perhaps infer that he hasn’t quite met expectations. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that Alex Marquez has vastly exceeded them, but the end result in the same – Aldeguer has fallen down the list of potential Bagnaia replacements.
Who else could replace Francesco Bagnaia in 2027?
If the younger Marquez brother maintains his 2025 form, or even improves on equal machinery to Marc, Bagnaia could be in serious danger. The seat remains his to lose, but Ducati’s bike will hardly change over the winter, so it’s difficult to be optimistic about a breakthrough.
Luigi Dall’Igna will also consider external options. There are suggestions that Fabio Quartararo is Ducati’s preferred option should he elect not to renew at Yamaha.
Pedro Acosta is also a top contender for a Ducati seat, though, like Quartararo, he could receive an approach from every factory. Both these riders may be a bigger priority than Aldeguer, unless the 20-year-old makes a game-changing leap in his second year.
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