Iker Lecuona says switching from Ducati’s GP25 to the GP26 for the Qatar MotoGP weekend required him to adapt his riding. He had previously ridden Fermin Aldeguer’s GP25 before taking over Alex Marquez’s newer-specification bike at Lusail.
The change came during a sequence of substitute appearances. After several weeks becoming familiar with one specification, he had to understand a different overall package within another race weekend.
Aerodynamics and a different riding approach
Lecuona said the bikes felt different, with aerodynamic differences he could both see and feel. That called for a slightly different riding style. He found the transition demanding after spending two or almost three weeks on the same bike.
He nevertheless assessed his work positively, giving himself nine out of ten for the Qatar “exam” because he had learned and improved. Gresini’s official reports confirm ninth in the Sprint and tenth in the Grand Prix, with points in both races.
Braking and tyre lessons from substitute appearances
After the Grand Prix, Lecuona described himself as physically drained but thanked the team for its support. He was pleased with his race pace while acknowledging time lost fighting and working through the field early on. He welcomed the points collected at the finish.
The Ducati WorldSBK factory rider also sees the MotoGP appearances as a learning opportunity. He highlighted braking with Michelin tyres, managing the rubber and working with the bike to understand what he was missing.
