Aldeguer swaps Gresini for VR46 in 2027
Fermín Aldeguer will move from Gresini Racing to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons, with Ducati further increasing its investment in the young Spaniard by making him an official Ducati Corse rider aboard a factory-specification Desmosedici GP.
The move keeps one of MotoGP’s brightest young prospects firmly within the Ducati family as the premier class prepares for its sweeping 2027 technical reset.
Aldeguer is currently in his second MotoGP season and, despite missing the past three rounds, sits 11th in the World Championship with 76 points and a podium at Barcelona already to his name in 2026.
The 21-year-old is due to return to competition at MotorLand Aragón this weekend, with our full Aragón MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 preview covering the title fight and the major talking points ahead of Round 13.
From next season, however, Aldeguer will exchange Gresini blue for VR46’s unmistakable yellow.
From MotoGP rookie winner to factory Ducati rider
Ducati identified Aldeguer’s potential well before he had even raced a MotoGP bike, securing his future while he was still competing in Moto2.
That faith paid off early during his 2025 rookie campaign.
Aldeguer took three MotoGP podiums and claimed his maiden premier-class victory in Indonesia, becoming the second-youngest MotoGP race winner in history.
He completed his rookie season inside the championship top ten and took Rookie of the Year honours, establishing himself as considerably more than simply another promising youngster on Ducati machinery.
His 2026 season has been interrupted by injury, but another podium at Barcelona provided further evidence of his potential before his recent three-race absence.
Now Ducati has doubled down.
Not only will Aldeguer remain aboard a Desmosedici for another two seasons, but he will also become an official Ducati Corse rider and have current-spec factory machinery at his disposal within the VR46 operation.
“I’m very happy to be taking this step in my MotoGP career with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team,” Aldeguer said.
“Signing with Valentino’s team is incredible. He has always been one of my idols and a role model for me.
“The VR46 Racing Team is the Ducati Factory Supported Team, an extremely professional outfit, and I’m very happy to be racing with them.”
Factory machinery for MotoGP’s new era
For Aldeguer, arriving at VR46 with full factory Ducati support means he will be directly involved in developing and understanding an entirely new generation of Desmosedici rather than inheriting a mature package with years of established data.
“With the new regulations coming in for 2027, my goal will be to adapt to the new tyres, but also to the new bike,” Aldeguer said.
“Having the factory Ducati bike will be a huge help in terms of development throughout the season.
“It will be a year in which we will aim to be consistent, avoid mistakes and spend as much time as possible on the bike to gather information.”
Aldeguer is already setting a reasonably ambitious target for that first season, saying he wants to be consistently inside the top five.
His move also comes after VR46 recently extended its Factory Supported Team agreement with Ducati through to the end of 2029.
That long-term commitment ensures Valentino Rossi’s organisation will remain one of Ducati’s most important MotoGP partners throughout the opening years of the new technical formula.
Ducati keeps Aldeguer in the family
Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna made it clear that Aldeguer’s new agreement is an investment in what Ducati believes he can become, rather than simply a reshuffling of its satellite riders.
“Since his arrival in MotoGP, he has shown extraordinary talent, a great ability to learn and a determination that impressed us immediately,” Dall’Igna said.
“He is still a very young rider, but his potential is enormous and we are convinced that he has plenty of room to grow.”
Dall’Igna described VR46 as the ideal environment for the Spaniard to continue that development.
The move also gives Aldeguer the opportunity to work inside Valentino Rossi’s organisation, something the Spaniard clearly regards as another potential avenue for improvement.
“I think having him within the team will help me improve as a rider thanks to his valuable advice,” Aldeguer said.
VR46 Team Director Alessio Salucci believes Aldeguer has already demonstrated enough during his short premier-class career to justify the faith being placed in him.
“He is a young rider who showed a huge talent right from his MotoGP debut,” Salucci said.
“We look forward to welcoming him in the team, where he will ride a Factory Desmosedici GP as he will be an official Ducati Corse rider.”
2027 MotoGP grid rapidly taking shape
Aldeguer’s confirmation fills another piece of what has already been an extraordinarily active 2027 MotoGP rider market.
Ducati’s factory operation is itself undergoing major change, with Pedro Acosta joining Marc Marquez in the Ducati Lenovo Team from 2027 as Francesco Bagnaia departs after a hugely successful association with the Bologna manufacturer.
Bagnaia has since been officially confirmed at Aprilia Racing, where he will partner Marco Bezzecchi.
Gresini will also look completely different after Aldeguer’s departure, with Joan Mir and Moto2 graduate Dani Holgado confirmed as its all-new 2027 pairing.
Elsewhere, Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura will spearhead Yamaha’s factory rebuild, while KTM has secured Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio for its factory squad.
The satellite landscape is changing just as rapidly.
Enea Bastianini will move from Tech3 KTM to Trackhouse Aprilia alongside Raul Fernandez, while Luca Marini will leave Honda to take one of the Tech3 KTM seats.
Honda has also already secured Moto2 star David Alonso on a multi-year MotoGP agreement, although HRC has not yet revealed which team the Colombian will represent.
Gresini chapter still has races to run
Aldeguer’s departure will conclude a relatively short but highly productive relationship with Gresini.
Team Owner Nadia Padovani responded to the announcement by making it clear that attention inside the squad remains firmly on finishing 2026 together.
“From the very first time you got on our bike, you brought a wave of energy, passion, and an incredible hunger to win,” Padovani said.
“Watching you grow and fight in our colors has been – and continues to be – an immense source of pride.
“We’ll stand by your side, just as we did on day one, giving you all the support and love this team knows how to give.
“Let’s enjoy every moment until the very end, and give it absolutely everything. 2027 can wait.”
For Aldeguer, that final Gresini chapter resumes at MotorLand Aragón this weekend.
Beyond that sits another substantial step in a career that is still only getting started: Valentino Rossi’s team, official Ducati Corse status and a factory Desmosedici as MotoGP starts all over again in 2027.
