Marco Bezzecchi
Fermin Aldeguer still thinks he will have a future in the factory Ducati team after they chose to sign Pedro Acosta instead, given the questions about Marc Marquez’s future.
Aldeguer is widely seen as Ducati’s rising star, having signed a works contract for the Borgo Panigale natives to get his MotoGP debut for Gresini in 2025. The Bologna Bullets have also taken up an option to extend Aldeguer’s contract through 2028, but will move him to VR46.
It is an open secret that Aldeguer will leave Gresini for VR46 next season, as Ducati want the 21-year-old racing for their factory-supported team after choosing against promoting him to replace Francesco Bagnaia. Instead, Acosta will join Ducati once his contract at KTM expires.
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Fermin Aldeguer accepts that Ducati signed Pedro Acosta due to doubts over Marc Marquez’s long-term future
Ducati have announced that Acosta will partner Marquez from 2027 on a two-year contract, having also re-signed the latter to a fresh deal through at least 2028. Acosta’s arrival will see Ducati break new territory, as it will mark the first time that they do not field an Italian rider.
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Aldeguer was in the conversation for a potential factory Ducati ride in 2027 before the team signed Acosta. The Murcian now claims he understands why the Bologna Bullets decided to sign the Mazarron native instead, as he believes Ducati needed to plan for the possibility of Marquez retiring in the near future and taking Acosta now keeps the door ajar for Aldeguer.
Aldeguer told Ondo Regional: “I have plenty of time to get to the Ducati team. I understand why they chose Pedro. They’re looking to have the best riders.
“They already had me and Marc Marquez. He’s strong, but you never know how much longer he’ll last. With Acosta on one side, and Marc who might one day say enough is enough, and a Fermin Aldeguer who you could potentially put in his place.
“Having that factory bike, I feel their support and I’m much more at ease… I think it’ll happen one day. My aim is to be in the official Ducati team one day, and Pedro will have many years ahead of him there. Why not [join Acosta at Ducati]?”
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Ducati have locked Marquez and Acosta down as their factory rider line-up for the next two seasons. But it was never 100% certain until he put pen to paper that Marquez would agree to extend his MotoGP career beyond 2026, having had a flurry of injuries in recent months.
In June, Marquez admitted that he considered retiring at the end of 2026 before signing his new contract with Ducati. The 33-year-old also claimed he was “terrified” about agreeing to a new deal in case his fitness problems persisted at the start of MotoGP’s 850cc regulations.
Marquez held talks with Honda about a return in 2027, as well, but their discussions did not develop into formal negotiations as he always gave Ducati his priority for next year and they were immediately on the same page once talks opened concerning a new contract for 2027.
So, Aldeguer now faces waiting until 2029 to move up to the factory Ducati team, provided that Marquez or Acosta opts against racing in red beyond their two-year contract cycles for the Bologna Bullets. And Aldeguer is happy to wait those extra two years knowing that the chance for him to join Ducati is not over even if his local rival Acosta beat him to the punch.
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