Ducati MotoGP team boss Davide Tardozzi has told The Race that the manufacturer is watching Moto2 hotshot Fermin Aldeguer with a keen eye.
That all but confirms rumours that last year's sensation in the middleweight class is a key name on the factory’s hitlist as MotoGP prepares to enter one of the most frenetic silly seasons of recent times.
Some 18 of the 22 riders on the premier-class grid will see their contracts expire at the end of the 2024 season, meaning there’s set to be a feeding frenzy among the factory teams in the coming weeks and months to secure signatures - with Ducati and its eight bikes likely to be at the centre of the coming storm.
It’s little surprise that Aldeguer is one of the names on its list thanks to a stunning end to the 2023 Moto2 season, which featured a run of four consecutive victories for the 18-year-old.
Fermin Aldeguer in Moto2
First 43 starts
Wins: 1
Podiums: 2
Poles: 2
Laps led: 11
Next 5 starts
Wins: 4
Podiums: 5
Poles: 3
Laps led: 71
His performances even sparked rumours that he could make his MotoGP debut as soon as 2024 - with VR46 interested in making Aldeguer its replacement for the Honda-bound Luca Marini.
However, Aldeguer's Moto2 employer Luca Boscoscuro had him under contract for 2024, and the price to break said contract reportedly proved too steep for VR46.
At the same time, it was widely reported that Ducati had approached Aldeguer with a view of slotting him into Ducati's chief satellite team Pramac for 2025, which would also mean a contract directly with the factory.
Yet despite Ducati being well-positioned to make such a competitive offer, Tardozzi is also aware that it's not the only factory trying to swoop in for the Moto2 star.
“Aldeguer is a very interesting rider,” Tardozzi told The Race. “And we are looking at him since two years ago. But, I guess, as every factory [is], because after the end of last year I think that everybody is on him.
“It's obvious that we have some chat with him, his management. But nothing is done yet.
“We'll see what his wish will be, maybe he prefers one [manufacturer's] colour or the other.
“But it will be up to him to take this decision. And, again, there is one season [left], one full season, so I don't think he will decide this before the first race.
“But honestly I don't know because it's not me that is speaking with him, it's Gigi [Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna]. But again, we are looking at him since a couple of years ago.”
Other 2025 plans
There is another deal that could be done much sooner, though: a contract extension for reigning double world champion Pecco Bagnaia.
Tardozzi said all that needs to be done is finalising the details - and there had been suggestions that Ducati could look to announce Bagnaia’s new deal for 2025 and beyond before the 2024 season even starts.
“We are discussing with his management,” Tardozzi explained.
“Both parties want to stay together, it means that Pecco wants to stay with Ducati and Ducati wants to keep Pecco. We are discussing, as I said, with his management, we are going closer and closer to try to find an agreement.
“I think that there is no rush, if it will be before or after Qatar I don't know, but we are taking our time to finalise as soon as possible. But we are not in a rush.”
Bagnaia’s situation is in stark contrast to the other side of the factory team’s garage, though, with the future of his team-mate still much more of an open question that Ducati is in no rush to answer.
Incumbent Enea Bastianini will obviously look to make up for time lost in his injury-struck first season in Ducati factory red last year by starting 2024 strongly.
But both 2023 championship runner-up Jorge Martin and six-time champion Marc Marquez are also among Ducati’s 2024 ranks, and the factory sounds more prepared to wait and see how the opening races shake out.
“I think we'll take time to decide what to do for the future,” Tardozzi added. “As you know, all the riders end the contract [at the] end of year.
“We will decide, I think, after a couple of races, not too early.
"Because we want to try to take the right decision, I don't think that it will be very early.”
