ALDEGUER’S TOUGH SEASON PUTS HIS DUCATI FUTURE UNDER PRESSURE

Ducati’s plans for life after Marc Marquez may be taking shape, but the rider once presented as a leading candidate to inherit his place is facing a difficult season. Pedro Acosta is expected to become the team’s long-term star, while questions remain over how long Marquez will continue racing. He is on course for a second consecutive title with Ducati, and could retire after securing the 2026 championship. If he stays, his current two-year deal may be his last: he turns 34 this winter, and the physical demands of his career are increasingly apparent.

Fermin Aldeguer had looked like a natural part of Ducati’s future after a strong rookie campaign, which brought his first Grand Prix victory and six podiums across Grands Prix and Sprints. Ducati general manager Luigi Dall’Igna repeatedly described him as the “future of Ducati,” and he appeared to have a chance of replacing Francesco Bagnaia. But a series of setbacks has interrupted that progress.

Ducati initially planned to give Aldeguer a factory-spec bike for 2026, then assigned it to Alex Marquez instead. Alex had finished second in the championship, but later agreed to join KTM, leaving Ducati’s decision looking costly in retrospect. Aldeguer was moved to VR46, a step up in the team structure but still a disappointment, particularly as Ducati had already arranged Acosta’s arrival for 2027.

Injuries then further disrupted Aldeguer’s season. A broken femur in January kept him out of pre-season testing and the Thailand opener. A fractured vertebra at Assen sidelined him for three more races, and a broken hand ruled him out of the Australian and Malaysian rounds. He returned in Qatar, where a collision with Bagnaia brought a double long-lap penalty. TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson called Aldeguer’s move “appalling.” Bagnaia suffered two fractures in his feet, although he was able to return in Portugal. Aldeguer apologised, but the incident’s severity may linger in Ducati’s memory.

His results when fit have nevertheless offered encouragement. Aldeguer has reached Q2 11 times in 14 weekends, outqualified Alex Marquez in four of their 10 direct comparisons and recorded four top-six finishes, including a podium at the Catalan Grand Prix. Comparisons are complicated by differences in machinery, but the season has still stalled the momentum he built as a rookie.

Aldeguer and his 2027 teammate, Nicolo Bulega, remain plausible candidates to succeed Marquez. Bulega, however, has gained experience testing Ducati’s 850cc machinery. If he makes a stronger impression as a rookie, he could move ahead of Aldeguer in the succession race. The winter break offers the Spaniard a chance to reset, but his route to Ducati’s top seat is no longer as clear as it once seemed.