Valentino Rossi stuns the paddock: a big gamble in the rider market

Riding the wave of Fabio Di Giannantonio’s excellent results this MotoGP season, Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team is planning its future. Starting with the sensational deal with Fermin Aldeguer, sealed months ago, and the arrival of Nicolò Bulega from WorldSBK. For the young Emilian rider, it’s a return to Tavullia after parting ways in 2019 to embark on an independent path with his family.

The VR46 team stunned the MotoGP paddock by prying Aldeguer away from Gresini for the 2027 season. A change of colors, but on the same bike, decided even before the Spaniard began this World Championship due to a femur fracture. The news broke during the Brazilian Grand Prix in March, catching fans and insiders off guard—and stirring displeasure inside the Gresini Racing garage...

Initially, Valentino Rossi’s outfit aimed for Pedro Acosta, but the coup fell through as the factory Ducati chose the KTM talent to replace Pecco Bagnaia in the official team. At that point, the Doctor turned to Aldeguer, opening his team’s doors for the first time to a non-Italian rider. Fermin is expected to receive a hefty contract with support from the Borgo Panigale manufacturer—something that wouldn’t have been possible at Gresini.

The 21-year-old from Murcia clinched the Rookie of the Year title in the 2025 MotoGP season, but his ambitions were stalled by a winter injury. Despite this, Valentino Rossi was determined to secure the young talent, snatching him from Nadia Padovani’s team, where he wouldn’t have enjoyed factory-level conditions. At that point, it was clear that one between Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli was already out of VR46’s plans for next year. The former reached an agreement with KTM, while the latter could leave MotoGP for good to race in SBK.

That leaves one empty seat in the neon yellow garage, with Nicolò Bulega as the leading candidate. It’s a move largely driven by Ducati’s higher-ups, but in Tavullia they immediately added a clause: the Superbike leader cannot bring his trusted crew chief, Tommaso Raponi. He will therefore have to work with one of Valentino Rossi’s existing engineers, Matteo Flamigni or Massimo Branchini. Will Bulega adapt to the new setup and deliver on expectations, or will the team’s hardline stance prove counterproductive? In any case, 2027 is already generating plenty of buzz.

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