Fermin Aldeguer “a bit destroyed”, thought "maybe I can win” Indonesian MotoGP Sprint

MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer led for all but the final corners of Saturday’s Mandalika Sprint race.

The Gresini rider took advantage of a shocking start for pole qualifier and pre-race favourite Marco Bezzecchi to storm into the lead.

By the time Bezzecchi fought through the field from eighth to second, Aldeguer was 2.3s clear with five laps to go.

The 20-year-old admitted he was beginning to think of a first MotoGP ‘win’, but the Aprilia rider slashed his advantage, then delivered a block pass at Turn 10 of the final lap.

Aldeguer tried to retaliate, but Bezzecchi closed the door and won by 0.157s.

It was a bitter defeat for Aldeguer, who said: “For sure, when I passed the chequered flag, I was a little bit destroyed and sad. But then I saw all my team celebrating and, if you look at the pace and that I led for 12 laps, we have to be happy.

“We knew Bez was one or two [steps] in front of me for pace and lap time. But we used his mistake in the start and on the first lap to try to open the maximum gap.

“When I saw two seconds and 5 laps to the  finish, I said, ‘maybe I can win the race today’. And I started to think about a lot of things, but without losing the focus, riding with flow in ‘29-30.0 pace.

“But Bezzecchi was coming super fast. We knew. And on the last lap with a short battle, we lost the first position. I tried to fight back in the chicane, but he defended well the victory.”

Aldeguer, who qualified in a career best second place, is now turning his focus to Sunday.

“If we finish on podium again for sure, I will be super happy. But why not try to win the race? We will see with the medium tyre also, because I will try in warm-up to find out if the performance is better for the last laps.”

On a rare tough weekend for Ducati, newly crowned seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez crossed the line in seventh place, +9.8s behind Aldeguer (including a long lap penalty).

Next best Ducati behind the Aldeguer was his team-mate Alex Marquez, 5.832s adrift on the same GP24.

“My setup is the same than in Motegi, in the last race. I like this type of track, I like the heat also,” said Aldeguer, who previously excelled with the harder construction rear tyre with second place in Austria.

“It's easier also when you start in second position, because you don't have to overtake, you can do your riding style and go with the flow, and we did it. I'm happy to be the reference of Ducati riders.”

The worst of the Ducati riders was last weekend’s double winner Francesco Bagnaia, who was a distant last in the Sprint.

“All of them have my data, my setup, I think any rider has his setup, his bike,” Aldeguer continued. “If I try to ride with Pecco's bike, for sure I'm not fast, or with Marc or Alex's bike.

“We work for ourselves, try to be always competitive - I don't know, also in Moto2 I managed very well this slide, when the tyre is harder than the normal. And maybe it's only for my riding style.”

Finally, was there anything Aldeguer wished he had done differently in the final lap showdown with Bezzecchi?

“Maybe yes, I tried to be fast in the 8th, 9th corner, but I braked late in the 10th corner, but he did a block pass. Maybe if I closed a little bit the line, he didn't do, but nothing, I tried my best and finished second.”

A grand prix victory on Sunday would also see Aldeguer break Marc Marquez’s record as the youngest MotoGP winner.