FERMIN ALDEGUER RETURNS FROM INJURY WITH SIXTH PLACE IN ARAGON

Fermín Aldeguer returned to action in MotoGP with a clean, controlled ride at MotorLand Aragón, finishing sixth on his Gresini Ducati. The 21-year-old from Murcia had been away due to injury, and after his comeback he said he was able to stay competitive in every session except qualifying, where “I made mistakes.” In the race itself, he described the overall weekend as something to build on: “The race was good, we have to be satisfied with this weekend in general.”

Aldeguer explained how the race unfolded after the middle of the contest. With Jorge Martín—his fellow countryman and championship leader—out of reach ahead, Aldeguer settled into a “no man’s land” rhythm. Behind, he had enough breathing space over VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio to avoid being pulled into a fight, even though he still had to manage his pace and tyre condition.

He pointed to the start as the main factor that could have shifted his result. “With a better starting position, maybe I could have been a bit further forward at the end,” he said. Still, he felt the sixth-place finish was a strong statement for his return: “Now we take all the positive things from the weekend. I think sixth here in Aragón was a good comeback.”

Tyre management played a key role in his strategy. Aldeguer said he tried to protect the front-left and the rear-right as the race progressed: “I tried to save the front tyre on the left side and the rear flank on the right side.” He also noted that the tyres were “quite good” at the end. While he felt confident with the rubber in the closing stages, he added a specific concern about stability: “In the end I had a good feeling with the tyres, even though the right side of the front tyre was critical because of the stability of the bike.”

On the pace and the gaps, Aldeguer described a moment when he had control before pressure returned. “I had a one-and-a-half-second advantage on Diggia and distance to Martin in front,” he said. “Then I made a few mistakes. Then I saw that Diggia pushed again. When it was only 0.9 seconds, I pushed again.” He finished by highlighting that his speed was there, including late-race lap times: “I was still able to do 1:47s at the end. That was a good pace for me.”

Physically, Aldeguer said he felt in good shape after two home races in Italy, adding: “Honestly, I feel really good physically.” He also compared the demands of Aragón to Misano, noting that with less grip and fewer transitions between corners, he would be “less tired” than at tracks like Misano.

In the championship, he entered the next round in tenth place, with a 38-point gap to Alex Márquez, who had been stronger in Aragón as well. Behind the Aprilia works team, Aldeguer’s Gresini squad delivered what he described as the best team performance, underscoring the positive direction of his comeback.