Fermin Aldeguer has played down his chances of repeating his Indonesian Grand Prix victory as MotoGP returns to Mandalika for the 2026 race weekend.
The Gresini Ducati rider delivered a dominant performance at the circuit last year, claiming his maiden MotoGP victory by nearly seven seconds ahead of Pedro Acosta. However, after a challenging season affected by injuries and difficulties adapting to his bike, Aldeguer admits he faces a different situation this time around.
“I know that I’m not in the same moment as last year,” Aldeguer said ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard explained that he had arrived at Mandalika in stronger form in 2025, having secured several podium finishes and consistently finished among the top five in the races leading up to the event. This season, injuries sustained early in the campaign and again at the Dutch Grand Prix have disrupted his progress, leaving him with just one podium after 16 rounds.
Despite those setbacks, Aldeguer remains optimistic about his prospects at Mandalika, a circuit where he has also enjoyed success in Moto2.
“Victory is one of my goals, but we have to start calm and don’t think about this,” he said, stressing the importance of building his pace throughout the weekend rather than immediately focusing on defending his title.
Beyond his race ambitions, Aldeguer also shared his thoughts on MotoGP's revised weekend format, which will be introduced in 2027. The changes include less practice time, a new Friday qualifying session for the Sprint and the removal of the traditional Sunday morning warm-up.
Aldeguer sees advantages and disadvantages in the new system. While reducing track time by around 20 to 25 minutes could ease the physical demands on riders, he is concerned that the new 15-minute qualifying session, with all 22 riders on track, could increase the risk of yellow flags and dangerous situations.
He also believes the revised qualifying structure could give riders another opportunity to recover from a poor Friday and secure a better starting position for Sunday's Grand Prix.
The removal of the warm-up session, however, leaves him less convinced. The current session allows riders to prepare physically and check their bikes before the race, particularly if they experienced a crash or technical issue on Saturday.
Under the new format, riders will instead have a 10-minute period with the pit lane open before the race, potentially allowing them to complete two laps.
Aldeguer questioned how useful those laps would be, as riders would be unlikely to push to their limits so close to the start.
For now, his attention remains on the Indonesian Grand Prix. Although a second consecutive victory may be a difficult target, Aldeguer will be hoping to make the most of a circuit that has previously brought him considerable success.
