Fermin Aldeguer took the second podium of his MotoGP career at the Austrian Grand Prix, cementing himself as the highest-flying rookie of the 2025 class.
After taking his maiden podium in the premier class at the French Grand Prix in May, Aldeguer joined Marc Marquez and Austrian Grand Prix pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi on his return to the podium in Spielberg.
The rookie rider finished just over a second behind his victorious compatriot, marking his closest attempt at standing on the top step of the podium.
Following the race, Aldeguer shared how Marquez made it difficult for him in the closing stages once the rookie realised a maiden victory might be on the cards.
Despite the Spaniard’s impressive first season in the premier class, VR46 have made it clear that they don’t want to employ Aldeguer, as they set their sights firmly on Pedro Acosta.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fermin Aldeguer with his rise to MotoGP and height
Fermin Aldeguer has been hailed as the ‘future of Ducati’ by Luigi Dall’Igna
Aldeguer signed a two-year deal with Ducati satellite team Gresini following his fifth-place finish in the 2024 Moto2 championship.
The Borgo Panigale team have dominated the current campaign with Marquez leading the charge, but they are looking towards the future with the current Gresini Racing rider as they believe Aldeguer can be the face of Ducati in the future.
Speaking to Sky Italy following the conclusion of the race, Luigi Dall’Igna had plenty of plaudits for the rookie, further reinforcing that he will one day be their lead rider in the factory team.
Photo by Steve Wobser/Getty Images
“Fermin had an incredible race, without making a single mistake, on a complicated track, where it’s not easy,” Dall’Igna started, before declaring, “He’s growing in an incredible way and will definitely be the future of Ducati.”
After the chequered flag fell in Austria, Aldeguer was asked if he would like to partner Marquez at Ducati, to which he replied that he would hope that Marquez would call it a day on his MotoGP career by then and also stated that it ‘must be hell’ for his current teammate, Francesco Bagnaia.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Fermin Aldeguer has been tipped to be the future Ducati rider in the past
Due to Bagnaia’s poor adaptation to the GP-25 in the current premier class campaign, there have been several reports of Ducati replacing the Italian with some newer blood.
Giacomo Agostini has told Ducati to replace Bagnaia with Aldeguer previously, stating that the move should come naturally for both parties due to his experience on a Ducati bike at Gresini.
PositionRiderTeamPoints1Marc MarquezDucati Lenovo4182Alex MarquezGresini Racing2763Francesco BagnaiaDucati Lenovo2215Franco MorbidelliVR46 Racing1446Fabio Di GiannantonioVR46 Racing1448Fermin AldeguerGresini Racing121Ducati riders in the 2025 MotoGP riders’ standings
Despite his previous comments about the Spaniard, Aldeguer would prefer Marquez as his teammate over Bagnaia due to the fact that he would relish in the ‘more pressure’ he would have partnering the eight-time world champion.
Marquez has returned to his championship-winning form in the 2025 campaign and is currently on a six-race winning streak in the premier class. As seen with Bagnaia’s struggles this year, it will take a lot of confidence to take the fight to the current championship leader.