The other Gresini rider staking his claim to a factory Ducati MotoGP seat

Expectations for Fermin Aldeguer were mixed when he stepped up to MotoGP this year with Gresini on a satellite bike. His stunning run of victories at the end of the 2023 Moto2 season earned him an early MotoGP contract, but his final year in the intermediate class — the first on Pirelli tyres — proved underwhelming. 

Granted, his form improved as he gained a better understanding of the new tyres, but he remained only the third-best rider on a Boscoscuro chassis. Hence, as he entered MotoGP, the mood was therefore tempered. Many saw 2025 as a learning year rather than one for big results for Aldeguer.

The first two rounds of his rookie campaign came and went, but in Austin, he finally made his mark. Lining up 12th on the grid, Aldeguer immediately leapt inside the top 10 and continued his charge to the front. By lap 16, he was already up to fifth place, right behind Pramac rider Franco Morbidelli. A mistake at Turn 15 ended his race early, but that impressive charge showed what he was capable of in MotoGP.

“The expectations for me changed a lot during the season because maybe we didn’t start in the best way and all the rookies were going better than me,” Aldeguer told Motorsport.com in Sepang. “But we had a good feeling and a good pace — and step by step, we are arriving at the top.

“I think Austin GP [was where we made a breakthrough] because we did the straight pass to Q2 on Friday for the first time. 

“After that, in the race, I felt super good. I was fifth and I was [able to] close the [gap to] Morbidelli. I crashed when two or three laps [were left], but the confidence I took in this grand prix [was significant]. This was the click [for me].”

One of Aldeguer’s standout traits this season has been his late-race pace, reminiscent of how Enea Bastianini used to come alive in the closing stages on the factory Ducati.

This was demonstrated most clearly at the Austrian GP, when he recovered from eighth on the opening lap to finish just over a second behind race winner Marc Marquez.

“Honestly, it is difficult to say [where the late race pace comes from], but I always felt good with the used tyre,” he explained. “Also in Moto2, I managed very well in the last laps, the last phase of the race.

“I don’t know if it’s something from my riding style or how I use the throttle — I always felt better in the last part than in the first part of the race. 

“We have to improve the first part to do better in the last part.”

Aldeguer’s 2025 stats

Being strong on worn tyres is a valuable weapon, but Aldeguer wouldn’t need to charge through the field so often if he started closer to the front. 

MotoGP’s current format places huge importance on Friday practice and a direct entry into Q2 can make or break a weekend. Even fast riders can struggle to advance from Q1 in such a tightly-packed field.

In eight out of the 20 rounds so far, Aldeguer has lined up outside the top 10 — something both he and his highly-rated crew chief Frankie Carchedi are determined to address.

“One of my goals for this last part of the season is to improve the lap time in qualifying and also practice,” Aldeguer said. “When you are in Q2 and you start in the first [few] positions, it’s easier to do the race and to manage the race. 

“It is one thing that I want to improve, but it’s just [about] time; to use new tyres, try and look where the limit is, because I don’t know at that moment where the limit of the bike is.

“I need more time, more crashes, and for sure I took [some time].”

When Aldeguer did qualify on the front row, he converted it into victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix. Granted, Marco Bezzecchi’s opening-lap error removed two frontrunners from the equation, but Aldeguer showed improved racecraft and maturity to grab his maiden victory in MotoGP.

Even so, he admits that his race results haven’t always reflected his true pace. Crashes in Jerez, Assen and Sepang, all from promising positions, suggest there is still some polishing to do. However, it’s all part of the learning curve for a rider who wasn’t even 20-years-old when the season began.

“I think in some races, we were faster and stronger than the results. It was difficult to manage this in myself because when you feel better than the result, you are sad with yourself,” admitted Aldeguer, who clinched the rookie of the year title in Malaysia.

“But it’s a good opportunity for taking experience and continuing to improve.”

Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing crash

Photo by: Asif Zubairi / Motorsport Network

Looking at the high points alone, Aldeguer’s future in MotoGP appears bright. There are still weaknesses he must iron out ahead of his sophomore year in 2026, but he has already laid a solid foundation for long-term success.

Naturally, Aldeguer has set his sights on getting a seat at the factory Ducati team when MotoGP’s ‘transfer window’ opens up again in 2027.

Of course, it’s hard to say if there will be a vacancy for Aldeguer in the first place. Marc Marquez is in the form of his life and may not be willing to gamble on another manufacturer, even though there is no guarantee Ducati will remain the benchmark when new regulations are introduced. The bigger question mark is over Francesco Bagnaia amid his patchy form this season, but the two-time world champion still enjoys strong support from the top brass at Ducati. 

Even if a seat does open up at Borgo Panigale’s official team, Aldeguer will face fierce competition, including within the Gresini garage. Alex Marquez has been on an incredible run in 2025 and has already been rewarded with a factory-spec bike in 2026. Aldeguer will need to prove he offers greater long-term potential than the younger Marquez, who will turn 31 in 2027.

The Gresini rookie is understood to already have a two-plus-two deal, giving Ducati the option to keep him under its umbrella until 2028.

“I have a contract with the Ducati factory,” Aldeguer said. “In my contract, if you do two good seasons, you have the opportunity to join the official team. But it all depends on results, on my potential.

“I’m 100% sure that if Ducati sees that I’m ready to go, [they will give me a seat, otherwise], we will stay there [at Gresini].”

Clarifying his comments about his contract situation, he said: “We talk about this, but we are not talking ‘maybe on this date, in 2027, you will go to the official [team].

“It’s just they bring me the calm. Then maybe if I do good results, this opportunity will arrive.”

Aldeguer will be one of the only two riders on the 2026 grid to race a year-old Ducati. How he fares against GP26 riders, particularly Alex Marquez, will determine whether he can make the leap from promising rookie to factory material.

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— The Motorsport.com Team