Written by Claire Franceries, Edited by Gabriel Tsui
Among the trio of MotoGP rookies joining the grid in 2025 is Gresini Racing's Fermín Aldeguer. The young Spaniard becomes the latest sensation from his nation to take to the track in a MotoGP bike. Read on as Claire looks back at Aldeguer's journey up the racing ladder...
Fermín Aldeguer Mengual was born in 2005 in Murcia, Spain, one of the few countries in the world that favors two-wheel racing over four. Like most riders, he began at a young age with a pocket bike.
He participated in his first motorcycle competition at the age of six, and he won his first major title in 2021: The FIM CEV Moto2 European Championship. He dominated the championship, winning nine out of 11 races, and finishing second in two others.
While most riders follow the traditional path through Moto3 and Moto2 before graduating to MotoGP, Aldeguer forged his own unique journey to the premiere class.
The young Spaniard filled in for Yari Montella in Moto2 with the Speed Up team, while also competing as a full-time rider with the Aspar Team in MotoE.
In 2022, the Speed Up team, impressed by his performance in the eight Moto2 appearances he had during the previous season, signed him to a three-year contract. His first full-time year as a Moto2 rider ended without a podium finish and a total of 80 points.
However, it was in his second season when Aldeguer’s full potential was realised. He won the British GP, his first victory in the Moto2 category, then went on to finish the year with four consecutive wins, securing third place in the championship with a total of 212 points.
In 2024, with two years of experience and a perfect season finish in 2023, Fermín Aldeguer was considered one of the favourites for the Moto2 title.
However, he finished the first race of the season in Qatar in 16th place, due to significant wear on his front tyres.
During the Portugal Grand Prix weekend, Ducati announced that the young Spaniard had signed a multi-year contract with them, beginning from the 2025 MotoGP season.
Gigi Dall’Igna, the General Manager of Ducati Corse, expressed his enthusiasm after the announcement:
“I would like to welcome Fermín to the Ducati family warmly, and we can’t wait to see him riding our Desmosedici GP. I am thrilled with this agreement because Aldeguer is one of the strongest riders in the new generation of MotoGP.”
During the press conference, Aldeguer stated that while he was excited about his MotoGP promotion in 2025, his primary focus remained on the current Moto2 season:.
“I’m ecstatic to have this opportunity; thanks to Ducati, I’ll realise the dream I’ve pursued since childhood. […] Now that I know what the future holds, it’s time to focus solely on this season, where I face a significant challenge in Moto2.
"I’ll give my all to leave this category with my head held high, aiming for the best possible results before embarking on my new adventure in MotoGP.”
Unfortunately, his dream of becoming the 2024 Moto2 World Champion and succeeding his childhood friend, Pedro Acosta, was not realized. After a third-place finish at COTA and a victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, Aldeguer suffered two consecutive retirements — atin Barcelona and at Mugello.
He bounced back strongly during the Dutch TT, finishing second, before winning his second Grand Prix of the season at the Sachsenring in Germany.
Aldeguer had to wait until Australia to return to the podium, following another retirement in Aragón during the seven-race stretch between Germany and Australia.
In Thailand, a big crash resulted in a wrist injury that required surgery, forcing him to miss the Malaysian Grand Prix. He made his return for the season finale at Barcelona, where he finished ninth.
All in all, Aldeguer had four retirements, five podiums — three of them wins — and only finished outside the points twice during the 19 races he competed in.
While his multiple retirements and forfeit in Malaysia prevented him from winning the championship, his consistency still earned him fifth place in the overall standings.
Along with fellow rookies Somkiat Chantra and Ai Ogura, Fermín Aldeguer took his first laps in MotoGP during the Barcelona post-season test with his new team, Gresini Racing.
Although Aldeguer signed with Ducati back in March, his move to Gresini Racing Team was officially announced only five months later, in August.
The young Spaniard inherited the bike and team of MotoGP legend Marc Márquez, who was promoted to the Ducati Lenovo Team — the Ducati factory team.
In his first appearance with Gresini Racing, Aldeguer managed to have the fastest time among the rookies, with a lap time of 1:40.564.
The Italian team made him feel right at home, and the positive atmosphere in the garage helped him overcome any initial stress:
“Everything went very well with the team. They’re excited, and since I arrived, they joke with me. It helps a lot.” With only a small crash during the entire session, the post-season test ended on a high note for the young Spaniard.
With the help of his new team, one of the best bikes on the current grid, and the experience he has accumulated throughout his years in competitive motorcycle racing, Fermín Aldeguer is ready for the 2025 MotoGP season.
The rookie has big shoes to fill, replacing the beloved Marc Márquez at Gresini Racing — the only rider to have secured two wins for the independent team — while also aiming to catch up with his old friend and rival, Pedro Acosta, who had a fantastic rookie season.
This will not be easy for the young Spaniard, but he has proven time and again that he is capable of forging his own path. We’ll see if the bright new road he has paved for himself will lead to even more success and victories.
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