Ducati feel David Alonso has picked the ‘wrong’ manager amid tricky contract negotiations

Add as preferred source on Google

Ducati are unhappy with the attitude of David Alonso’s manager as they try to sign the Moto2 sensation, journalist Oriol Puigdemont says. Alonso is one of the most in-demand young riders in the Grand Prix paddock right now.

Alonso won the 2024 Moto3 title in magnificent style, bagging 14 victories from 20 starts. He then placed ninth in his first Moto2 campaign.

By ending the season with three podiums in four Grands Prix, he underlined his status as one of the title favourites for 2025. Marc Marquez expects Alonso to battle teammate Daniel Holgado for the championship.

Which current Moto2/Moto3 rider will have the best career?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Even before a competitive wheel is turned, Alonso is negotiating a MotoGP deal.

However, a report last week claimed that Alonso was asking Ducati for ’10 times more’ than they were willing to pay, which could scupper that particular move.

David Alonso’s manager is asking Ducati to ‘destroy’ their philosophy

Speaking on the Paddock Pass podcast, journalist Oriol Puigdemont shared his conversation with a Ducati team member who’s privy to the negotiations. They believe that Alonso, 19, has chosen the ‘wrong’ manager.

Ducati would have to ‘destroy’ their current salary structure for young riders to grant his demands. Luigi Dall’Igna is a huge fan of Alonso, but he isn’t willing to sign him at any cost.

There’s a possibility that Honda will snap up Alonso instead if they don’t have the same reservations. With Fermin Aldeguer already on board and Pedro Acosta on his way, Ducati are already well-placed for the future.

“We all agree that David Alonso will be on the grid in 2027,” said Puigdemont. “I spoke with a Ducati member in Sepang, and he told me that he got the manager wrong.

“His manager is asking for a lot of money, and that’s not Ducati’s… they’re not going to play this game. It would mean that you destroy everything.

“They are also bending the philosophy by bringing Acosta in. It would be a bit too much to enter this game of making these kinds of offers.”

David Alonso now has the same agent as Brad Binder

Neil Morrison explained that Alonso has recently changed his management. He is now part of the Wasserman agency that also represents Brad Binder and has a strong track record in negotiations.

Morrison said: “I’ve heard that Alonso has switched to Wasserman, who look after Brad Binder, used to look after Cal Crutchlow, Aron Canet, Jake Dixon, these kind of guys. They have a pretty big pool.

“That’s quite a savvy move from David, because Wasserman are usually able to get some decent contracts for their riders.”

Dani Pedrosa has talked up Alonso’s potential, suggesting that he’s one of the sport’s next ‘great’ riders. He also placed Moto3 hopeful Maximo Quiles in that bracket.