MotoGP: Aldeguer Also Out in Australia as Gresini Calls Up Lecuona, Bulega’s Substitute

Fermin Aldeguer will not take part in the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for October 23–25. Gresini confirmed the news, announcing that Iker Lecuona will once again ride the number 54 Ducati at the final MotoGP event at Phillip Island as host of the Australian GP. Lecuona has just been crowned World Superbike vice-champion, behind Nicolò Bulega.

Fermín is working to try to be fit to race in Malaysia in less than two weeks.

The Indonesian GP weekend proved difficult for the Spaniard, who crashed in both practice and qualifying. In Sunday’s feature race, Aldeguer went down at Turn 16 on the second lap, while running fourth, according to Motosan. The seemingly innocuous slide nevertheless left him with a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal in his right hand.

The rider from La Nora returned to Spain immediately and underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, October 13, at Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, performed by Dr. Xavier Mir and his team. The fracture was fixed with screws. Over the weekend, the 21-year-old showed up at Jerez for the World Superbike season finale with his hand in a cast, greeting Bulega and the other riders on the grid—a visit that already suggested Phillip Island would come too soon.

For Aldeguer, this is his third major injury of 2026. Over the winter, he fractured his left femur, missing pre-season and the Thai GP. Then, at Assen, he suffered an injury to his T7 vertebra, which ruled him out for the rest of the Dutch weekend as well as the races in Germany and Great Britain.

For Lecuona, this will be his third MotoGP weekend with Gresini this year. In June, he replaced Alex Marquez at Balaton Park for the Hungarian GP, finishing seventh—a result that matched his second-best finish in the premier class, in his first appearance since 2023. In August, stepping in for Aldeguer at Silverstone, things went less well: he failed to finish either race.

This time, unlike with his first call-up, the Valencian had been given advance notice that he might be needed as a replacement. Aldeguer, meanwhile, is focusing all his efforts on the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, a week after Australia. His return will depend on how his hand recovers and on medical clearance.

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