Iker Lecuona, a World Superbike rider substituting for Ducati’s MotoGP teams, gave himself a nine out of ten for his performance at the Qatar Grand Prix in Losail. He said he learned and improved significantly, scoring ninth in the sprint and tenth in the main race while describing his rapid adaptation as “crazy.”
Lecuona’s results marked a strong finish to a three-round stint with Gresini Racing, which began in Australia and continued in Malaysia, where he rode Fermín Aldeguer’s bike. In Qatar, he replaced Alex Márquez, who was sidelined following clavicle surgery. The 24-year-old Spaniard, a factory Ducati rider in the World Superbike Championship, said the experience of adapting to the premier class machinery was physically demanding.
He recovered to close nearly two seconds on Aldeguer before overtaking him.
“I’m dead tired,” Lecuona said, according to Motorcycle Sports. “But I’m very, very, very happy.”
Lecuona’s path to the points was not without incident. He lost time to Diogo Moreira at the start and ran wide at the first corner after three riders formed a wall, a problem that also affected the three riders behind him. He also noted he was faster than Fabio Di Giannantonio during the race, though Johann Zarco managed to pass him.
The field at Losail was reduced, with only 18 riders participating due to Yamaha’s absence. That number fell to 16 on race day after Pecco Bagnaia and Luca Marini withdrew.
Lecuona’s qualifying performance was less successful. He failed to advance directly into Q2 on Friday, finishing 14th, and did not progress through Q1 on Saturday, ending the session 15th.
A key challenge during the Qatar round was adapting to a different motorcycle. Lecuona rode both the GP25 and GP26 Ducati machines during his MotoGP appearances this season and said the switch required a change in technique.
“You have to ride with a slightly different style, especially because of aerodynamics—I can feel it,” Lecuona said. “It was something I had to learn this weekend after nearly three weeks on the same bike. It wasn’t easy to adapt.”
Lecuona described his overall performance as an “exam” and expressed surprise at how quickly he found pace. “Every lap, I went faster and faster,” he said.
He credited Gresini Racing for the opportunity, noting it was his fifth chance to race in MotoGP this year. “Thanks to Gresini for giving me this opportunity,” Lecuona said. “I’ve had five chances to race in MotoGP this year, but this one was crazy.”
He praised the team’s environment, calling it “an incredible team with incredible people” and said he enjoyed being part of it, a sentiment he described as rare but mutual.
Lecuona said the experience will benefit his WorldSBK career, particularly in areas such as braking with Michelin tires, tire management, and body positioning. “That’s the main difference and it will undoubtedly help me in the future,” he said. He added that the lessons learned over the last two or three races will be valuable as he returns to the Superbike paddock.
