Ducati has not yet confirmed its official rider for next season. Francesco Bagnaia will remain with the factory team, but Enea Bastianini still remains in doubt. During his time with the factory team, the Italian rider had some difficulties after some accidents last season that left him injured and he was never able to be consistent, despite having already achieved some podiums and a victory with the Ducati Lenovo Team .
In position to take his place is Jorge Martín, who has already made clear his intentions to join a factory team after confirming he will leave Prima Pramac Racing at the end of the season. To make things more interesting, Aprilia Racing has always had a particular “affection” for Bastianini. The Italian manufacturer has yet to confirm its two official drivers for the year, although Massimo Rivola says he is happy with both drivers.
Aleix Espargaró is already in the final phase of his career and recent results have not helped the Spanish driver’s chances of staying with the factory team. With these results and Aprilia’s interest in Bastianini increasing, the likelihood of the Italian rider joining Ducati’s rivals is growing.
Marc Márquez, Jorge Martín will be the two main candidates to take their place in the official Ducati Lenovo team for next season and Enea Bastianini could take Aleix Espargaró’s place in Aprilia Racing.
However, the market is always unpredictable and Jorge Martín has already shown that he should aim for a place in a factory team. If Ducati doesn’t accept his requests, could Martín “shake up” the rider market even more with a move to Aprilia? We’ll see, we will continue to follow all the rumors and news from the premier class paddock, so stay tuned.
