AustralianGP: Aldeguer Ruled Out, Lecuona Called Up Again by Gresini

Spaniard targets Sepang return after surgery on broken right hand

Fermin Aldeguer will miss the Australian Grand Prix this weekend after breaking his right hand in a crash in Indonesia. His BK8 Gresini Racing team has called up WorldSBK star Iker Lecuona to replace him at Phillip Island.

Aldeguer slid off his Ducati at Turn 16 early on lap two of the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, while running fourth. The crash left him with a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal bone in his right hand. He flew home to Spain and was operated on in Barcelona, with screws used to repair the break.

The #54 is now aiming to be back for the following round at the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. “It’s less than one week after the injury so we have to stay calm and see if I can be back in Malaysia,” he told the WorldSBK team at Jerez. “It’s our first goal. We will see.” He also said he had suffered “bad luck” this year.

It is Lecuona’s third MotoGP appearance with Gresini this season. He first stood in for Alex Marquez at the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park, finishing seventh, and then replaced Aldeguer at Silverstone. Lecuona has just finished as runner-up in the 2026 WorldSBK championship with 563 points, 163 behind champion and Ducati team-mate Nicolo Bulega.

The injury is another blow in a difficult year for Aldeguer, who won at Mandalika in 2025. He missed pre-season testing and the Thai Grand Prix in March with a fractured femur, then fractured a vertebra at Assen in June and was sidelined for several races. He is due to move to the VR46 Ducati team next season.

Credit Photo : MotoGP