Iker Lecuona had to learn that no two Gresini-Ducatis are the same

Superbike World Championship runner-up Iker Lecuona stepped in for Gresini twice during this year’s SBK season: in Hungary in early June and in Great Britain in early August. He put in a strong performance at Lake Balaton, finishing seventh, but at Silverstone he failed to finish either race.

Fermin Aldeguer had suffered a fracture to his right hand in a crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix, so the Gresini team once again called on Lecuona as a replacement in Australia and Malaysia. Although Aldeguer was back in action in Qatar last weekend, Alex Márquez was absent as he could no longer postpone shoulder surgery.

This meant Lecuona was in action for the fifth time this year at a Grand Prix weekend. “The fact that Gresini gave me another chance shows that I’ve done a good job with the lads,” the Spaniard noted.

The Ducati rider was confident ahead of the races at the Lusail Circuit on the outskirts of the Qatari capital, Doha, and qualified in 15th place on the grid in a field reduced to 18 riders – Yamaha had withdrawn its quartet due to the conflict in the Persian Gulf. Finishing ninth in the Sprint and tenth in the Grand Prix, Lecuona picked up a further seven World Championship points.

Willkommen zum Rennen in Katar

Foto: Gold & Goose

Jorge Martin

Foto: Gold & Goose

Pedro Acosta

Foto: Gold & Goose

Marco Bezzecchi

Foto: Gold & Goose

Raúl Fernández

Foto: Gold & Goose

Enea Bastianini

Foto: Gold & Goose

Johann Zarco

Foto: Gold & Goose

Iker Lecuona

Foto: Gold & Goose

Pedro Acosta

Foto: Gold & Goose

Marco Bezzecchi

Foto: Gold & Goose

Marc Márquez

Foto: Gold & Goose

Jorge Martin

Foto: Gold & Goose

Fabio Di Giannantonio

Foto: Gold & Goose

Fermin Aldeguer

Foto: Gold & Goose

Marco Bezzecchi gewinnt das Rennen

Foto: Gold & Goose

Marc Márquez und Raúl Fernández

Foto: Gold & Goose

Sieger Marco Bezzecchi

Foto: Gold & Goose

Marc Márquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Raúl Fernández

Foto: Gold & Goose

Sieger Marco Bezzecchi

Foto: Gold & Goose

Willkommen zum Rennen in Katar

© Gold & Goose

Topic of the week

World Champion Kimi Antonelli: record-breaker, heart-breaker, the Tifosi’s dream

With his third-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest of the 36 Formula 1 world champions to date. The 20-year-old Italian is on a record-breaking run. The Tifosi are dreaming of Antonelli in a Ferrari.

Read More

TV Program

Live

Portimao: International Livestream

MotoGP World Championship

20.11.2026 - 09:55

Lecuona also learnt something for the Superbike World Championship

“I felt very confident about riding fast, felt very comfortable on the bike and really enjoyed it,” grinned the four-time Superbike World Championship race winner. “I’m very happy with my performance, but it also left me absolutely knackered. I got faster with every lap and made up time on riders like Diggia and Zarco. I’ve learnt a lot over the past three events, which will really help me in the future in the Superbike World Championship – the way I need to brake on the Michelin tyres and manage their durability. Gresini are an incredible team; I feel as though they’re my own team. I’m really grateful for that.”

Whilst Lecuona rode Aldeguer’s bike in Australia and Malaysia, this time he was on Alex Márquez’s. He confirmed that not all bikes are the same: “It felt different; everyone can see the difference in the aerodynamics. I had to get used to that first, and it wasn’t easy to adapt.”

Lecuona is set to win the Superbike World Championship for Ducati in 2027; following champion Nicolo Bulega’s move to MotoGP, he will have Morbidelli as his new pit neighbour. The 26-year-old is ruling out a return to MotoGP, saying, “The Superbike World Championship and the Aruba team are my priority.” However, he can envisage further stints as a stand-in or test rider for Ducati in MotoGP.

Iker Lecuona vor Diogo Moreira und Franco Morbidelli

Foto: Gold and Goose Photography