Marco Bezzecchi
As Marc Marquez continues to struggle with his form amid injury concerns, Ducati will rest easy knowing they have his successor ready should he retire.
Marquez’s shoulder injury is thought to be more serious than initially expected, which has led to him not performing at the level fans have become accustomed to from him.
On top of that, Marquez’s forearm injuries after his crash in Austin seem to have compounded the pain he’s experiencing and his struggles on the track.
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Combine this with the fact that his overwhelming success in recent years has led to Marquez becoming a target among other MotoGP riders, the Spaniard will be feeling overwhelmed at this point in his career.
There is some speculation that Marc Marquez could call time on his MotoGP career if his injuries continue to derail his performances. But Ducati might not be too worried about his replacement.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez is wary of ‘unbearable’ scenario if he signs a two-year Ducati contract
Ducati tipped to replace Marc Marquez ‘quite easily’ with Fermin Aldeguer
MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard was a guest on the Motorsport Republica podcast, where he discussed the possibility of Marc Marquez retiring this year.
Given his injury struggles and the high standard Marquez holds himself to, Appleyard believes that a retirement at the end of this year wouldn’t be surprising. And if he does walk away, Ducati could easily promote Fermin Aldeguer from Gresini to take his seat.
“We know Marc is only here to win. He’s not bothered about riding around at 80% and finishing third, fourth, or fifth.
“I genuinely think that if this shoulder doesn’t improve and we get to halfway, three-quarters to go, I don’t think it’s completely off the cards that Marc says, ‘Okay, at the end of the year, that’s me. I’m done.’
“If he feels as though the shoulder is just never going to get better, he’s not going to have the strength, given the injuries he’s come back from before…
“If he just feels as though this is his limit now, and given his mentality, I don’t think he’d want to come back just to ride around at 75% of what he’s capable of doing and maybe win the odd race.
“He’s here to win championships, and Ducati and quite easily just promote Fermin up to the factory squad. I think they can, if Marc says that’s it. They’ve got a ready-made replacement there.”
READ MORE: Jorge Martin may now be Marco Bezzecchi’s worst nightmare and greatest ally in Marc Marquez battle
Will Fermin Aldeguer be the successor to Marc Marquez at Ducati?
Ducati could face complications with VR46 over potential Fermin Aldeguer promotion
Of course, Ducati might not find it so easy to promote Fermin Aldeguer to replace Marc Marquez, given that Aldeguer is signed to VR46 for 2027.
Ducati reportedly promised VR46 a top rider in their effort to retain them as a satellite team, and it appears Aldeguer is that top rider.
Ducati upset Gresini with the Aldeguer situation, and will want to avoid doing the same with VR46 as well by taking Aldeguer for themselves after their initial promise.
Given the tense nature of Ducati’s relationship with Gresini and VR46, it might be best for Ducati to try and convince Marquez to stay beyond this season.
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