Fermin Aldeguer injury could derail Ducati’s 2026 development plan

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Fermin Aldeguer will have surgery after breaking his left femur while training for the 2026 MotoGP season.

The setback comes as Aldeguer was getting ready for his second year in MotoGP, looking to build on a strong rookie campaign that saw him named the series’ top newcomer.

Following an impressive debut year that saw him win the Rookie of the Year award, there’s no timeline yet on how long he’ll be sidelined. He is expected to have surgery in Barcelona on Friday.

With the new season not far off, it looks like Aldeguer will miss the opening shakedown test in late January. And there’s no guarantee he’ll be back in time for pre-season testing in Buriram either.

Early reports say he crashed at turn one of the Aspar circuit in Valencia, with strong winds believed to have played a role in what happened.

Pedro Acosta missed seven weeks after similar injury in 2022

Pedro Acosta went through a similar experience during his rookie Moto2 season back in 2022.

The now-KTM factory rider broke his left femur in a motocross training crash between the German and Dutch rounds, missing seven weeks before getting back on the bike.

He showed no signs of trouble once he returned, quickly finding form at the Austrian Grand Prix with a fourth-place finish despite the layoff.

The big difference is that Acosta’s recovery coincided with Moto2’s summer break, giving him extra time to heal without missing as much track action.

Aldeguer doesn’t have that same luxury. While others get valuable pre-season miles, he’ll be working to catch up from the start of the year.

Ducati’s GP25 had its issues last season, especially for Francesco Bagnaia. Aldeguer would have wanted every minute possible to get comfortable on his new bike before racing begins.

Fermin Aldeguer’s agent sends a heartfelt message to him on social media

After news broke on Thursday afternoon about Aldeguer’s injury, fans quickly took to social media to show their support for the 20-year-old.

His agent, Hector Faubel, added his voice to the messages of encouragement by commenting under MotoGP’s announcement on Instagram: “We will come back stronger! We will take care of you because you are the best person I know. Always with you.”

The 2026 season had been widely expected to be a breakout year for Aldeguer, potentially setting him up for a move to the factory Ducati team in 2027.

Luigi Dall’Igna has backed Aldeguer as Ducati’s future, and many fans see him as the natural successor to Marc Marquez if the reigning champion decides to leave at the end of next season.