Fermín Aldeguer is switching from blue to fluo. The Spanish rider will join the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for 2027 and 2028, stepping into Valentino Rossi’s squad as an official Ducati Corse rider with a factory Desmosedici GP.
The move ends Aldeguer’s run with BK8 Gresini Racing, the team that gave him his MotoGP debut in 2025, and lands him inside Ducati’s factory-support structure two seasons after he first signed with the manufacturer for his premier-class debut.
Fermín Aldeguer’s Rookie Year Set Up This Move
Aldeguer’s path to MotoGP ran through MotoE, where he debuted in 2021, then an all-conquering European Moto2 campaign that made him one of the class’s most sought-after riders. He carried that momentum into his 2025 MotoGP debut, where he became the second-youngest rider ever to win a premier-class race, taking victory in Indonesia alongside three podiums and the Rookie of the Year title.
His 2026 season has been rockier. Fermín Aldeguer currently sits eleventh in the standings with one podium, in Barcelona, after missing three races through injury. Ducati’s decision to lock him into a factory-support seat regardless suggests the manufacturer is betting on his ceiling rather than reacting to this year’s results alone.
Fermín Aldeguer Steps Into Valentino Rossi’s Team
Aldeguer called signing with Rossi’s team incredible, citing the seven-time champion as one of his idols and a source of advice he expects will help him improve. VR46 Team Director Alessio Salucci and Team Manager Pablo Nieto both pointed to his rookie-year talent as the reason the team pushed to bring him in, with Nieto adding that Aldeguer had already proven mature enough to compete at MotoGP’s highest level despite his age.
The switch also puts Aldeguer on a factory Desmosedici GP rather than a satellite-spec machine, a meaningful upgrade heading into 2027’s new technical regulations. Aldeguer named adapting to the new tyres and chassis, staying consistent, and gathering development data as his priorities for the transition year.
Fermín Aldeguer Becomes Central to Ducati’s Long-Term Plan
Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna and Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali both framed the extension as a deliberate investment in Aldeguer’s potential rather than a reward for results already banked. Domenicali described Ducati’s approach to Aldeguer as the same philosophy that has shaped the brand’s belief in young talent for years, while Dall’Igna called the two-year runway room for him to keep growing toward bigger milestones.
Both Ducati and VR46 also thanked BK8 Gresini Racing for developing Aldeguer through his debut season, a nod to the team now searching for its own next lineup after his departure.
Fermín Aldeguer will spend 2027 adjusting to a new bike, a new team, and an entirely new technical era all at once, with a factory ride and Valentino Rossi’s guidance as the safety net. Whether that combination turns his rookie-year flashes into sustained title contention is the question 2027 and 2028 are now built to answer.
About The Author
