Marco Bezzecchi
Fermin Aldeguer is in one of the more comfortable positions in MotoGP when it comes to securing a 2027 contract.
The 2025 MotoGP Rookie of the Year signed a two-plus-two deal with Ducati when he moved up to the premier class last year. Aldeguer will spend two years with Gresini before the Borgo Panigale factory has the option to extend the deal until 2028.
Given that the Spaniard has a direct contract with Ducati, he is keen to get a factory seat. He was supposed to have a factory bike in 2026, as per his contract, but Gresini teammate Alex Marquez will ride a GP26 instead.
Fill in the blank: Fermin Aldeguer will win ___ MotoGP titles in his career.
This was the first damaging blow to his chances of joining Ducati, and he soon suffered another after sustaining a serious leg injury in training at the Aspar circuit in Valencia. Subsequently, Aldeguer will miss the Thailand Grand Prix after sitting out testing at Sepang.
His absence is a huge blow to his factory chances in 2027. Rival Pedro Acosta is set to join Ducati next season after reportedly signing his contract from KTM, but the Borgo Panigale outfit’s plans for Aldeguer would not be something he would fume over.
Fermin Aldeguer would be ‘happy’ to stay at Gresini in 2027 if Pedro Acosta joins Ducati
The 20-year-old is comfortable at Gresini after having an impressive rookie season in 2025, which saw him grab his maiden MotoGP win in Indonesia.
As journalist Simon Patterson notes, Ducati are ‘going to’ offer another two years at Gresini to Aldeguer, and he would be ‘happy’ to accept the deal on a factory bike.
“The first thing is, you hit the nail on the head, Ducati have Aldeguer. He’s in a four-year contract, he’s not going anywhere,” he said via The Race MotoGP Podcast.
“So they can afford to take risks on the second factory seat because for me, I mean, I don’t want to say he’s quite a passive character compared to Pedro, but they’re going to offer him two more years of Gresini and he’s going to be happy with that.
“And that’s good for everybody because it keeps him in the Ducati fold. It means that he should get, well, we know he’s going to get up-to-date equipment next year because everyone’s getting new bikes anyway because everything else is illegal.
“So you’ve got him already. There’s no point in promoting him too young, whenever that is something that has the potential to… factory status very early can derail careers. We’ve seen that with other people. So there’s no need to. Whenever you can have him in a happy, safe environment, leave him there.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fermin Aldeguer with his rise to MotoGP and height
Could Fermin Aldeguer be off to another team in 2027?
Aldeguer wants factory machinery at Ducati, and with Alex Marquez close to joining KTM in 2027, the door is open for the Spaniard to get the slot his teammate has in 2026.
However, he could also be on the move in the MotoGP rider market next year. Valentino Rossi is eyeing Aldeguer for VR46 in 2027, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli set to leave the team.
Predict the order of the Ducati riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
VR46 had been interested in signing the 20-year-old in 2024, but he opted to stay in Moto2 for another year and then join Gresini in 2025. He could link up with Rossi’s team in 2027 after they failed to sign Acosta.
Ducati could risk losing Aldeguer altogether if Acosta joins the factory. It would be ‘difficult’ to retain the Spaniard if his arch-rival is alongside him in Borgo Panigale.
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