FERMIN ALDEGUER SAYS HE’LL GRAB A 2028 DUCATI CHANCE IF IT APPEARS AFTER VR46 DEAL

Fermin Aldeguer has spoken about what his confirmed move to VR46 means for his future at Ducati, after the Valentino Rossi-owned team confirmed he will race for them in 2027. The Spaniard’s comments came during media duties ahead of this weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix, where he was asked both about the upcoming VR46 season and the possibility of a factory Ducati opportunity later on.

Aldeguer’s path to the premier class has been shaped by missing out on a factory bike for his second year in MotoGP. Now, with a two-year agreement that begins with his VR46 switch at the end of the current term, he believes the step forward is already clear—even if it won’t be the full factory experience immediately. He acknowledged that the chance to ride a factory Ducati in 2028 is something he would like, but he is not going to chase hypotheticals.

“If the opportunity arises, we’ll give it our all to be there, but for the moment we’ve got enough on our plate having signed for two years, and I’m not going to think about what might happen,” Aldeguer said, according to Motorsport.com.

His motivation for the longer-term goal is tied to the machinery and the information that come with factory status. Aldeguer said that having a factory bike is a career milestone in itself, describing it as a way to open doors and create more opportunities at tracks where he and his satellite package have struggled.

“It will be a step forward in my career in that I’ll have the factory bike, and that will open more doors for me and give me more opportunities at circuits where we struggled with the satellite bike,” he said.

Asked to assess whether VR46 will be better or worse than Gresini, Aldeguer avoided making a definitive comparison before he is actually in the environment. He stressed that factory status will always bring advantages in terms of engineers and information, but he wants to judge the full impact only once he arrives.

“I’m never going to say whether the team will be better or worse, or whether it will help me more or less. I’m focusing on performance, and in that respect we’ll be taking a huge step forward – a step that Ducati has given me the chance to take,” he added.

On the practical difference between the teams, he concluded: “Having the factory bike means it will always be better in terms of engineers and information. But until I’m actually there, I won’t know exactly what will change.”

The wider context behind the 2028 speculation is Ducati’s rider market. Pedro Acosta is set to join Marc Marquez at Borgo Panigale next year, with Marquez on a 1+1 contract, which could leave the door open for movement after 2027. Meanwhile, Aldeguer’s VR46 teammate for 2027 is still unconfirmed, though the reporting points to Nicolo Bulega as the likely pairing.

With Aldeguer also remaining on a factory Ducati contract for the next two years, his move to VR46 is being viewed as a potential bridge toward a full factory seat in the future—something he says he will pursue only if the timing and opportunity come.