Fermin Aldeguer admits “it will be easier to achieve” more MotoGP victories after taking his first win at Sunday’s race in Indonesia.
Aldeguer became the first rookie to win a MotoGP race since Jorge Martin at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix, with the Murcian dominating after taking the lead on the first lap.
The Spanish rider admitted the victory had given him “extra motivation” for the upcoming races after an “incredible job” throughout his debut campaign.
“This is a very special moment for me, for the Gresini team, and for Ducati,” Aldeguer said to Speedweek.
“I think we’re doing an incredible job in my rookie season; we knew that even before we came here. In some races, I could sense the potential, but I also knew we needed to improve our Fridays and qualifying sessions.
“If we can do that, it will be easier to achieve results like this. I want to enjoy this moment; it gives me extra motivation for the upcoming races.”
Aldeguer earned redemption from Saturday’s Sprint, which he led until the last lap when Marco Bezzecchi passed him at Turn 10 to steal the victory.
The rookie learned from that experience and made an overtake at the same spot where he lost the win, in a reversal of his Sprint heartbreak.
“I was able to overtake Acosta, where Bezzecchi [overtaking] cost me the win on Saturday,” Aldeguer said.
“I’m getting better and understanding this class more and more.
“More difficult than the overtaking manoeuvres were the 20 laps that followed, in which I had to stay clear.
“I only made one major mistake in the first corner, which cost me 0.3 seconds. When my pit board showed me a 9-second lead with seven laps to go, a lot of things were going through my head.”
Fermin Aldeguer reveals how he traded MotoGP Sprint heartbreak for Sunday success
Following his first taste of premier class success, the rookie admitted he had initially “no expectations” after his disappointment at losing out in the Sprint.
Aldeguer expected Bezzecchi to challenge him on Sunday, but the Italian exited the race in dramatic fashion after a first lap collision with Marc Marquez.
The Murcia native admitted he had been waiting for the Italian’s challenge after the Sprint duel, but suggested it was the key to “staying super focused” in Mandalika.
“It hurt yesterday, but I ended up accepting it when I saw that everyone was happy and [Marco] Bezzecchi was more competitive than me – he has more experience than me in this category,” Aldeguer continued via GPOne.
“I started today with no expectations because I knew I could finish with the pace I had. To tell the truth, I waited for Bezzecchi the whole race.
“I think that was the key to keeping the pace and staying super focused.”
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