MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer made a remarkable impression at Saturday’s Mandalika Sprint race, leading almost the entire event before losing out at the final corners. The Gresini rider capitalized on a surprising error by pole sitter and favorite Marco Bezzecchi to take an early lead and maintain it for the majority of the race. This strong performance highlighted Aldeguer’s potential in the MotoGP Sprint.
Aldeguer’s Impressive Early Lead and Bezzecchi’s Comeback
Aldeguer surged ahead immediately, exploiting Bezzecchi’s shaky start. Bezzecchi, having qualified on pole, initially dropped to eighth but fought his way back up to second place. Despite Bezzecchi’s rapid recovery, Aldeguer held a 2.3-second advantage with five laps remaining. The young rider admitted that when he had a two-second gap with five laps to go, he began to entertain thoughts of a first MotoGP victory.
However, Bezzecchi steadily closed that gap, cutting Aldeguer’s lead and making a decisive block pass at Turn 10 on the final lap. Despite Aldeguer’s efforts to reclaim the lead during the last chicane, Bezzecchi defended his position and secured the win by a narrow margin of 0.157 seconds.
Aldeguer reflected on the heartbreak:
“For sure, when I passed the chequered flag, I was a little bit destroyed and sad. But then I saw all my team celebrating and, if you look at the pace and that I led for 12 laps, we have to be happy.”
He acknowledged the pace advantage of Bezzecchi, saying,
“We knew Bez was one or two [steps] in front of me for pace and lap time. But we used his mistake in the start and on the first lap to try to open the maximum gap.”
Describing the intense final lap battle, Aldeguer added,
“But Bezzecchi was coming super fast. We knew. And on the last lap with a short battle, we lost the first position. I tried to fight back in the chicane, but he defended well the victory.”
– Fermin Aldeguer, MotoGP Rider
Strong Qualifying and Focus on Sunday’s Race
Aldeguer’s second-place qualifying was a career-best start, and after the disappointment of the Sprint race, he shifted his focus to Sunday’s grand prix. He is optimistic about his chances of finishing on the podium, or possibly even winning, which would make him the youngest MotoGP winner, breaking Marc Marquez’s record.
He said,
If we finish on podium again for sure, I will be super happy. But why not try to win the race? We will see with the medium tyre also, because I will try in warm-up to find out if the performance is better for the last laps.
– Fermin Aldeguer, MotoGP Rider
Performance of Other Riders and Ducati Challenges
While Aldeguer and Bezzecchi battled at the front, the race proved difficult for Ducati riders. Seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez finished seventh, nearly 10 seconds behind Aldeguer, after serving a long lap penalty. Alex Marquez, Aldeguer’s teammate on the GP24, was the next best Ducati in the sprint, trailing by over five seconds. Disappointingly, last weekend’s double winner Francesco Bagnaia ended the race in last place.
Aldeguer explained his comfort with his setup, saying,
“My setup is the same than in Motegi, in the last race. I like this type of track, I like the heat also.”
He previously did well on a harder rear tyre at Austria, where he secured second place.
Further discussing his riding style and equipment, Aldeguer remarked,
“It’s easier also when you start in second position, because you don’t have to overtake, you can do your riding style and go with the flow, and we did it. I’m happy to be the reference of Ducati riders.”
Individual Riding Styles Affect Results
When asked about differences in setups among Ducati riders, Aldeguer stressed the importance of personal style, saying,
“All of them have my data, my setup, I think any rider has his setup, his bike. If I try to ride with Pecco’s bike, for sure I’m not fast, or with Marc or Alex’s bike.”
He continued,
“We work for ourselves, try to be always competitive – I don’t know, also in Moto2 I managed very well this slide, when the tyre is harder than the normal. And maybe it’s only for my riding style.”
Reflection on the Final Lap Tactics
Aldeguer considered whether he could have done anything differently during the crucial last lap duel with Bezzecchi. He said,
“Maybe yes, I tried to be fast in the 8th, 9th corner, but I braked late in the 10th corner, but he did a block pass. Maybe if I closed a little bit the line, he didn’t do, but nothing, I tried my best and finished second.”
Should Aldeguer secure a victory in Sunday’s race, it would not only mark his maiden grand prix win but also make him the youngest rider ever in MotoGP history to do so, surpassing Marc Marquez’s record.
