MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer targets 2027 factory Ducati ride after Le Mans podium

Star MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer is targeting a factory Ducati ride for 2027 but admits to being surprised to have already scored a maiden podium.

The Spaniard celebrated his first podium in the premier class two weeks ago at Le Mans, in just his sixth MotoGP Grand Prix.

However, it was a result that had been building for some time, as the Gresini rider had already impressed with a fifth place two rounds beforehand in Qatar.

“If someone had told me at the beginning of the year that I’d be on the podium in my sixth MotoGP race, I would’ve told them to go lie down,” Aldeguer joked on Motorsport.com’s Spanish language MotoGP podcast.

Aldeguer’s season has steadily improved as he’s become more comfortable with the Ducati. In Austin, the third stop on the calendar, he crashed out while chasing fourth after an incredible comeback; in Qatar, he was just seven seconds behind race winner Marc Marquez; and at Le Mans, he stunned with back-to-back podiums — both in the sprint and the main race.

These results place him eighth in the overall standings, ahead of Ai Ogura (10th) and Somkiat Chantra (last), making him the best rookie so far.

Aldeguer’s move to MotoGP was long-planned, having been finalised at the end of 2023. His deal, signed directly with Ducati, spans four years in two separate two-year phases. This structure not only gives him peace of mind to develop, but also a clear goal to aim for.

Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Marc Fleury

At just 20 years old, Aldeguer believes that, if he continues progressing as expected, he could land a seat in Ducati’s factory team in 2027 — the year both Marquez’s and Francesco Bagnaia’s contracts expire.

“The goal of every rookie riding for a satellite team is to end up in the factory team – I’m lucky that my contract is directly with Ducati,” he said.

“This year we pretty much have the same bike as the factory riders. Given my age and this contract, I’ve got a bit of an advantage over the others.

“I have a four-year contract, two plus two. If my results are good, the jump to the factory team should happen in 2027. We’ll see what happens, but that’s the plan.”

Aldeguer has also credited team-mate Alex Marquez for helping him to adapt to MotoGP so quickly with the pair working well together.

“Alex has opened the door for me in an incredible way – I expected that, given the kind of person he is, but he’s gone above and beyond,” said Aldeguer.

“One time, at the last minute, he changed his mind about the tyre he was going to use, and he came to my office — half-dressed in his undersuit — to tell me he’d changed his mind, just so I wouldn’t think he was trying to trick me.”

Now that he’s secured his first MotoGP podium, the next goal is, naturally, to take the top step. It’s a challenge that motivates him and one he sees as possible, though he’s not letting it become an obsession.

“Now I do believe it’s possible to win a race in my first year, because I’m feeling really good,” Aldeguer said. “When it happens, it happens. Some tracks will suit me better, others worse.

“Of course, I’d love for it to happen at Silverstone, where I got my first win in Moto2. But I’m not going to lose my mind over it.”

However, should he achieve that remarkable feat, it would make him the youngest winner in MotoGP history (20 years and 50 days), beating Marc Marquez’s record by 13 days.