A common misconception debunked: Ducati rider Iker Lecuona is faster as a father

Iker Lecuona’s talent was undisputed, but the Spaniard was unable to fulfil his potential in the GP paddock. Although he secured one podium finish in Moto2 between 2017 and 2019, he never finished higher than 12th in the overall standings. In two years in MotoGP, he managed only 20th-place finishes.

His career relaunch with the Honda Racing Corporation works team in the 2022 World Superbike Championship was also complicated and largely unsuccessful. Having finished a solid ninth in the championship as a rookie, Lecuona scored fewer points in each subsequent season and finished a mere 13th in the 2025 championship.

The fact that the 26-year-old was signed by Aruba.it Ducati as Álvaro Bautista’s successor for the 2026 Superbike World Championship was the chance of a lifetime for Lecuona – and he seized it. With eight of the twelve rounds completed, the Spaniard has 20 podium finishes to his name and secured his first victory in the opening race at Donington Park. Next year, Lecuona will be the Italian team’s figurehead.

However, the Ducati rider has undergone a particularly significant change in his private life. With the arrival of his young daughter Luna, his daily routine has taken on a whole new dimension. The old adage that ‘a child slows a racing driver down by one second per lap’ certainly doesn’t apply to Lecuona, as he secured his first Superbike victory just one week after his daughter was born.

“A lot has changed at home, of course,” the World Championship runner-up had to admit. “I have a wife and now a little baby. That changes everything, especially the nights. But it’s going relatively well; our Luna sleeps through for about six hours, so I’m getting enough sleep. Otherwise, the changes are manageable. When I’m at the circuit, I only think about my daughter when I’m eating or when people ask me about her. As soon as I slip into my leathers, I think only of my job as a racing rider.”