MotoGP MotoGP Launch
Fermin Aldeguer to miss Thai GP, Gresini names replacement
A training accident sustained in January forces Aldeguer out of the Thai MotoGP season opener
Rachit Thukral
Published: Feb 12, 2026, 12:54 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fermin Aldeguer will sit out MotoGP’s season-opening Thailand Grand Prix on 1 March as he continues to recover from a femur fracture.
Although Aldeguer had already been declared unfit for the first pre-season test at Sepang earlier this month, he hadn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to action in Buriram following his crash in January.
But on Thursday, Gresini Racing announced that Aldeguer will skip both the Buriram test and the Thai GP at the same venue, compounding his early-season woes.
He will be replaced in Thailand by Ducati’s test rider Michele Pirro, who also substituted for factory rider Marc Marquez in two races at the end of 2025.
“Fermin Aldeguer's recovery is progressing rapidly, though not enough to see him in Thailand,” the team said in a statement. “The Spaniard will not be present at the Buriram tests or the first race of the season. Michele Pirro will replace him.”
Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Aldeguer was training at the Aspar Circuit in Valencia last month when he fell off his Yamaha R6 and broke his left femur. He was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Barcelona, where he underwent corrective surgery.
Since then, he has been working with a special team in Andorra to shorten his recovery timeline.
The news means that Aldeguer will not be able to race until at least the Brazilian GP on 22 March, three weeks after the Thai event. The long injury layoff will severely compromise his preparations for what will be his sophomore season in MotoGP.
The Spaniard, who is directly contracted to Ducati, had high expectations for 2026 after winning the Rookie of the Year title last year with Gresini.
Read Also:
MotoGPJorge Martin sought Marc Marquez’s advice before undergoing further surgery
MotoGPWhy Toprak Razgatlioglu is slower than he expected
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Jorge Martin sought Marc Marquez’s advice before undergoing further surgery
Next article Can Johann Zarco match factory Honda duo Joan Mir and Luca Marini in MotoGP 2026?
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Rachit Thukral
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
21 h
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
WEC
WEC
Monza
22 h
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
Latest news
2027 Formula E drivers and teams: The line-up so far
Formula E
FE Formula E 1 h
2027 Formula E drivers and teams: The line-up so far
Kimi Antonelli meets Italian president Sergio Mattarella
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 1 h
Kimi Antonelli meets Italian president Sergio Mattarella
How Qatar red flag helped Johann Zarco put Barcelona crash behind him
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
2 h
How Qatar red flag helped Johann Zarco put Barcelona crash behind him
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe