VR46 Racing: What the Ducati bosses have to say about the deal with Fermin Aldeguer

Fermin Aldeguer will ride for Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP team in 2027 and 2028. The Spaniard is delighted to be working with VR46 – and, above all, with MotoGP icon Rossi – from next season onwards. Furthermore, the 21-year-old will be an official Ducati factory rider in 2027 and will be provided with the latest factory-spec machinery. As a reminder: in 2026, Aldeguer will be riding last year’s Desmosedici, whereas his Gresini team-mate Alex Márquez will have a current GP26 at his disposal. Due to the new regulations, the motorbikes in 2027 will all be new prototypes, but as a factory rider, Aldeguer will be more closely involved in the bike’s development.

“Fermin perfectly embodies Ducati’s vision for the future of racing: believing in young talent and fostering their development so that they can realise their full potential. This philosophy has brought us great joy over the years, and we remain fully committed to it,” emphasised Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Right from the start, we recognised in Fermin a rider who is ready to take on a major challenge such as MotoGP. He made his debut in the premier class with Ducati and quickly secured his place on the grid, proving that he possesses all the qualities needed to compete at the very highest level. From next season, he will be starting a new chapter with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team – a team that excels at developing young riders and shares the same ambition and hunger for victory as we do. We are very much looking forward to continuing on this journey together and are firmly convinced that Fermin will make the most of this new opportunity. Finally, we would like to thank BK8 Gresini Racing for believing in Fermin since his MotoGP debut and for the work we have done together along the way, which has contributed significantly to his development and enabled him to demonstrate his talent as part of our sporting project.”

Claudio Domenicali

Foto: Gold & Goose

Dall’Igna: “At Ducati, we firmly believe in his potential”

The contract extension with Aldeguer confirms Ducati’s confidence in his qualities. If Aldeguer delivers over the next two seasons, he will also be a candidate for the Ducati Lenovo factory team.

“We are delighted to announce the contract extension with Fermin for the next two seasons. Since joining MotoGP, he has demonstrated exceptional talent, a great capacity to learn and a determination that immediately impressed us,” said Ducati Corse CEO Gigi Dall’Igna. “He is still a very young rider, but his potential is enormous, and we are convinced that he has plenty of room for further development. For this reason, we have decided to continue investing in him, thereby reaffirming our confidence in a project that is clearly looking to the future. We believe that the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team provides the ideal environment for him to continue on his path. In recent years, the team has proven that it can nurture young talent to the full and is a truly competitive force in the championship. We are confident that Fermin will find everything he needs here to develop further and achieve important milestones. At Ducati, we firmly believe in his potential.”

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