Fermin Aldeguer heads into this weekend’s Hungarian MotoGP at Balaton Park with the belief that the new circuit could hand him the perfect rookie opportunity to fight for a first premier-class victory.
The 19-year-old Gresini Ducati sensation comes fresh from a runner-up finish in Austria, where he chased Marc Marquez to the line and claimed his fourth podium of the season. Now, with MotoGP visiting a completely new venue, Aldeguer feels the playing field is level for the first time.
“This track is a good opportunity for a rookie because we are all in the same condition,” Aldeguer said. “We come here from a good result, with a good mentality, and with some advantage from the Panigale test we did in the summer.”
Aldeguer admitted that victory is not yet his priority but isn’t ruling anything out:
“I hope this victory arrives soon. In Austria, it was very close, but it’s not my first goal. I want to continue learning. We are arriving closer to the first, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Balaton Park’s stop-and-go 17-turn layout impressed Aldeguer after testing:
“The first impression was strange, but after it felt like a familiar track. The hard braking reminds me of Austria, but the corners are a little bit different. It’s a mix, and the fast part is similar to Indonesia maybe.”
The Spaniard stressed that qualifying will be crucial, with the opening sequence of corners notorious for incidents after last month’s WorldSBK pile-up. “It’s important to start in the first positions,” he said, recalling how a sixth-place start in Austria left him disadvantaged from the dirty side of the grid.
While Aldeguer carries Ducati momentum and youthful fearlessness into Hungary, only one other rider in the field—Tech3 stand-in Pol Espargaro—has MotoGP testing experience at Balaton.
If Aldeguer can convert that blend of raw speed and equal footing into a breakthrough, he could join Jorge Martin (2021) as the latest Ducati rookie to stand on the top step in his debut season.
