Ducati still hasn’t confirmed its official rider for next season. Francesco Bagnaia will remain with the factory team, but Enea Bastianini remains a doubt. During his time with the official team, the Italian rider has had some difficulties after some incidents last season that left him injured and he has never managed to be consistent, despite having already taken a few podiums and a victory with the Ducati Lenovo Team.
In a position to take his place is Jorge Martín, who has already made clear his intentions to join a factory team after confirming that he will be leaving Prima Pramac Racing at the end of the season. To make matters more interesting, Aprilia Racing has always had a special “affection” for Bastianini. The Italian manufacturer has yet to confirm either of its two official riders for the year, although Massimo Rivola says he’s happy with both riders.
Aleix Espargaró is already in the final phase of his career and recent results haven’t helped the Spanish rider’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 the factory Ducati Lenovo Team seat for next season and Enea Bastianini could take Aleix Espargaró’s place at Aprilia Racing.
However, it’s always an unpredictable market and Jorge Martín has already shown that he must go for a factory seat. If Ducati doesn’t accept his demands, could Martín “shake up” the rider market even more with a move to Aprilia? We’ll see, we’ll continue to follow all the rumors and news from the premier class paddock, so stay tuned.