Ducati stand-in rider Iker Lecuona: Yes and no to the MotoGP paddock

Fermin Aldeguer of the Gresini Ducati MotoGP team suffered a fracture to his right hand in a crash during the main race in Indonesia. The Spaniard underwent surgery in Barcelona. It is uncertain whether he will be able to compete at Phillip Island in South Australia over the weekend of 23–25 October.

Superbike World Championship runner-up Iker Lecuona would be a likely replacement, having already stepped in at the start of June in Hungary and at the start of August in Great Britain. Finishing seventh in the Hungarian Grand Prix, he put in an impeccable performance that far exceeded expectations, having crossed the line in 18th place in the sprint race. In England, however, he failed to see the chequered flag in either race.

Ungarn-GP: Ersatzpilot Iker Lecuona vor KTM-Werksfahrer Brad Binder

Foto: Gold and Goose

The Spaniard is currently fully occupied with the final rounds of the Superbike World Championship in Jerez. Nevertheless, Lecuona, the official Ducati rider, was drawn into making the following comments regarding further MotoGP appearances: “I’ve seen the team a few times and really enjoyed my time with them. Perhaps it would be a good opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike in Australia. I wasn’t able to do that at the time because of the Covid regulations. I’d have to learn yet another new circuit on this bike – if they were to give me a call, I’d really appreciate it.”

The signings of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega, who have both performed exceptionally well in the World Superbike Championship, show that the World Superbike Championship can also provide a route into MotoGP. There are just a few seats available for 2028, whilst for 2029 almost all riders will have to renegotiate their contracts. SPEEDWEEK.com asked the 26-year-old in Andalusia whether MotoGP would be an option for Lecuona if he were to have outstanding seasons over the next two years.

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22.10.2026 - 23:55

Lecuona is 26 – a return to MotoGP at a later date cannot be ruled out

The signings of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega, who have both performed exceptionally well in the World Superbike Championship, show that the World Superbike Championship can also provide a route into MotoGP. There are just a few seats available for 2028, whilst for 2029 almost all riders will have to renegotiate their contracts. SPEEDWEEK.com asked the 26-year-old in Andalusia whether MotoGP would be an option for Lecouna if he were to have outstanding seasons over the next two years.

“To be honest, I’m happy here and enjoying it very much; I know what the MotoGP paddock is all about,” explained the new father. “The Superbike paddock is more like a family and friendlier; there are fewer races and you spend more time at home. That means I can spend more time with my wife and my daughter, who’s growing every day. It’s lovely to be part of that. I’m taking the future as it comes and focusing on the present. If I do very well, like Nicolo has this year, then Ducati might give me a chance. But even if that doesn’t happen and they want to keep me in Superbikes for a long time, then we can go down that path together.”