ALDEGUER DOUBTS HE CAN REPEAT INDONESIAN MOTOGP WIN

Fermin Aldeguer returns to Mandalika as the defending Indonesian MotoGP winner, but he is not expecting to arrive with the same momentum that carried him to victory last year.

The Gresini rider won the 2025 race by nearly seven seconds over Pedro Acosta after Marco Bezzecchi crashed on the opening lap. Aldeguer had also been in strong form in the races beforehand, including a second place in Austria. This season has been more difficult: injuries at the start of the year and again at the Dutch Grand Prix, alongside struggles with the bike, have left him with one podium after 16 rounds.

“I know that I’m not in the same moment as last year,” Aldeguer said ahead of the race. He recalled that he had reached Mandalika last year with more podiums and greater consistency in the top five. “This year, for sure with the injuries, with the feeling with the bike, we struggled much more.”

Still, the circuit gives him reason to hope. “Mandalika is a good track for me; also in Moto2 I did a good result and we have to do our best,” he said. A repeat win remains an ambition, but he stressed the need to take the weekend step by step: “For sure, victory is one of my goals, but we have to start calm and don’t think about this.”

Aldeguer also gave a measured assessment of MotoGP’s revised weekend format, due to begin in 2027. The changes include 25 minutes less practice, a new Friday afternoon qualifying session for the Sprint, a 15-minute Q1 with all 22 riders on track, and the removal of Sunday morning Warm Up. In its place, the pit lane will open for a 10-minute period before the race.

“There are some positives, some negatives,” Aldeguer said. He is concerned that the crowded Friday session could bring more yellow flags and risk as riders chase lap times. On the other hand, less time on track could help riders physically, and the qualifying structure may give them another chance to secure a good grid position for the main race after a poor Friday.

He is less certain about losing Warm Up, which he values as a chance to prepare his body and check the bike, particularly after a Saturday crash. The replacement window may allow only two laps, he said, and riders would be unlikely to push fully with the race so close. “I don’t know if it’s better or not,” Aldeguer said, adding that riders would have to work with the format as it stands.