Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati are in the luxury position of potentially having a few top-tier talents to pick from for their 2027 MotoGP line-up.
In all likelihood, Marc Marquez will continue with them, but they do have a chance to place a new rider next to him, amid what will be a very open MotoGP rider market for 2027.
Fabio Quartararo, Pedro Acosta, or Jorge Martin could be outside options, but within the Ducati camp, there could be some intriguing options too. They only need to look as far as Gresini.
Luigi Dall’Igna has always spoken very highly of Fermin Aldeguer, and he managed to win a race during his rookie season. If he can kick on in 2026, he has a great chance of being picked.
Who is Ducati’s BEST option if they have to replace Francesco Bagnaia?
Aldeguer thinks Aprilia have ‘proven’ they can beat Ducati is wary of the threat posed by those outside of his own manufacturer’s camp for next year.
However, Aldeguer doesn’t feel ready to win the title, despite admitting that he has the equipment to do so. He knows that there is a lot to learn ahead of him.
READ MORE: Fermin Aldeguer has now changed his tune on replacing Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati
Fermin Aldeguer must ‘learn’ to ride fast with Michelin’s normal MotoGP tyres in 2026
Aldeguer needs to be ‘obsessed’ like Pedro Acosta, according to three-time champion Jorge Lorenzo, who has assessed his fellow countryman’s approach.
At the age of 20, he still has a lot of time to develop, and Ducati will have a lot of patience with him. Not everyone bursts onto the block.
The rate of improvement that he showed this year was most encouraging, and if he carries on like that in 2026, it’ll be hard to deny that he has title-winning capabilities.
Is Fermin Aldeguer a future MotoGP world champion?
Speaking on the Oxley Bom Podcast, Mat Oxley shared where the Spaniard must improve if he wants to win on a more regular basis.
“A significant thing to me, his two best results in the dry, were second to Marc at the Red Bull Ring when he was catching him like crazy, and first at Mandalika,” he said. “They were both with a stiff carcass rear slick.
“With a stiff carcass rear slick, the Ducati just can’t use corner speed, but Aldeguer uses more corner speed than Marc and so on.
“So, he could make the lap time with that tyre, much better than anyone else, which is quite interesting, really. He’s got to learn to do that and be as fast as everyone else on the same tyres, on the normal tyre.”
READ MORE: How Fermin Aldeguer’s first official Ducati GP25 lap times compare to Francesco Bagnaia in Valencia
Why Alex Marquez holds an advantage over Fermin Aldeguer for 2026
Despite initially having an agreement to be on a factory Ducati bike at Gresini for 2026, Aldeguer will not have one.
Instead, after his heroic performances in 2025, it will go to teammate Marquez, who reminded everyone that he’s a lot more than just Marc’s brother.
Depending on how strong the GP26 ends up being, it could mean that he either surprises everyone and finds a way to beat his teammate or loses, despite not having an even chance.
His spot on the grid is probably safe for 2027, whichever way it is looked at. Doing some winning wouldn’t do his career any harm, though.
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