World Superbike rider Iker Lecuona stepped into the Gresini Ducati seat for the Hungarian Grand Prix after Alex Marquez’s injury and finished seventh, rating his weekend a perfect "10 out of 10." He capped his performance by overtaking Jack Miller on the final lap, a move he described as a highlight of an otherwise fast and confident ride.
Ducati selected Lecuona over his WSBK teammate Nicolo Bulega because Bulega’s 2026 focus remains on the World Superbike championship, making Lecuona a less costly distraction. Despite not having raced in MotoGP since 2023, Lecuona blended seamlessly with the field, posting faster times than the regular Ducati riders in practice and qualifying, and expressing gratitude to Ducati, Gresini, and sponsor Aruba for the opportunity.
The stand‑in’s success throws a stark light on VR46 Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli, who has struggled to extract grip from his year‑old Desmosedici. Morbidelli, who has only managed a weather‑aided sprint podium at Jerez, fell behind Lecuona in every session and voiced concerns about the bike’s handling. With a possible replacement by Bulega for 2027 looming, Morbidelli and his engineers face mounting pressure to resolve the grip issue before the season’s next round.
