Lap time analysis hints at why Fermin Aldeguer thought "I can win" Austrian MotoGP

Fermin Aldeguer came within touching distance of a dream debut MotoGP victory in Austria, as he brilliantly hunted down race and title leader Marc Marquez.

After scything past pole qualifier Marco Bezzecchi for second in the closing stages, Aldeguer had just one rider left to catch.

Unfortunately for the 20-year-old rookie, that rider was eight-time world champion Marquez, winner of the previous 11 races.

Nonetheless, Aldeguer had been faster than the factory Ducati rider for eight laps prior to the Bezzecchi pass and initially took a further bite out of the GP25’s advantage.

However, Marquez responded to keep Aldeguer at bay by 1.118s at the chequered flag, as the younger Spaniard celebrated his best MotoGP result to date.

“The race was incredible,” Aldeguer said. “One of the best races of my life. And it all came easy, I don't know why!”

As reported, Aldeguer had already signalled his speed by being faster than all but Marquez during the second half of the Saturday Sprint, when his podium hopes were wrecked by a sideways start.

The eight-time Moto2 race winner kept his wheels in line for the grand prix getaway but still dropped from sixth to eighth on the opening lap and was only in fifth place, 3.6s behind leader Bezzecchi, after 12 of 28 laps.

“When I was behind the other riders in the first part of the race, I always tried to overtake and I did easily,” he explained. “Then, after the overtake with Pedro [Acosta] for third, the distance with Marco was still a lot, but my feeling lap by lap was always better.

“For sure, when I overtook Bezzecchi I said maybe today the podium is not the result, I can win. I used very well the tyre because in the first laps I didn't push a lot. I always managed it and arrived at the last laps with something more.

“But it’s not easy to fight with Marc. He's in an incredible moment.”

Having shown his capability at the end of a race, Aldeguer knows he must avoid handing the leaders such a head start at the beginning.

“Now one of the things that I want to work on is in this first part of the race,” he confirmed. “I want to practise more the starts. I want to be in the first positions in the first lap, to make the race easier. But this is a season to learn.”

Asked where his late-race strength comes from, Aldeguer replied: “I don’t know. It’s my style. I don't do anything different to when I ride at home. I think it’s from the speed I do in the middle of the corner and how I use the throttle because I'm very clean.

“Now I have to work in the pickup [exit]. I have to work more to adapt my style to this bike to be more competitive in other tracks, but we are improving very quickly and I think all my team and all Ducati is super happy with my adaptation.”

Aldeguer’s runner-up result moves him up to eighth in the world championship standings, and easily on course for the rookie of the year title.

Next weekend’s Hungarian round will put Aldeguer on a level playing field against his more experienced rivals, who also have no prior MotoGP experience of the new Balaton Park track.

Meanwhile, Aldeguer, Marquez and the other Ducati riders at least have some knowledge from a superbike training day at the venue during the summer break.