Femur Injury Rules Aldeguer Out of Thailand MotoGP 2026 Opener

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Fermin Aldeguer is set to miss the opening round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship in Thailand after sustaining a femur fracture, an injury that has already forced him to sit out the opening phase of pre-season testing.

The Spanish rider fractured his femur earlier in January and had previously been confirmed as absent from the Official Sepang Test, scheduled for February 3–5. His recovery timeline also prevented him from attending the Gresini Racing team launch in Kuala Lumpur on January 31, although he joined the event via video link.

Speaking to MotoGP.com presenter Jack Appleyard during the launch, Aldeguer made it clear that his immediate priority is rehabilitation, not rushing back to the bike.

“Unfortunately I cannot be there, but the most important thing is my femur recovery and it’s going well,” Aldeguer said.
“Day by day I feel better, always closer to getting back on the bike.”

However, Aldeguer also confirmed that a return before the opening flyaway races is unrealistic at this stage.

“For now it’s time to stay at home, continue with the recovery and watch my bike on a screen,” he added.
“I want to come back as soon as possible, but at this moment I can’t say one date or one race.”

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Earliest Return Still Uncertain

While the Thailand opener is now ruled out, Aldeguer admitted that a return later in March remains a possibility, depending on medical evaluations and how his leg responds to rehabilitation.

“For sure I have some goals in mind,” he explained.
“I want to be in Brazil or maybe in Austin, but we have to wait for all the exams, see how I feel with my leg, and then we come back.”

The injury is a significant setback ahead of Aldeguer’s second MotoGP season, one that carried rising expectations after a standout rookie campaign. Aldeguer claimed his maiden MotoGP victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix last year, a result that immediately elevated his status within the paddock and placed him among the most closely watched young riders on the grid.

Pre-Season Absence a Major Handicap

Missing the opening tests of the year represents a considerable disadvantage in modern MotoGP, where early mileage is crucial for understanding new developments, tyre behaviour, and race simulations. Several riders in recent seasons have seen their campaigns compromised by a lack of pre-season running.

Notable examples include Raul Fernandez, whose repeated crashes during Sepang testing disrupted his early MotoGP seasons, Franco Morbidelli, who missed the entire 2024 pre-season after a training accident in Portimao, and Jorge Martin, who lost almost all of last year’s pre-season — and much of the campaign itself — following a heavy crash during the opening official test in Malaysia.

In that context, Aldeguer’s enforced absence from both the Sepang Shakedown and the Official Test places him under immediate pressure to regain race fitness quickly once cleared to return.

For now, Aldeguer’s focus remains firmly on recovery, with Thailand confirmed off the calendar and his return timeline dependent on medical clearance. The Gresini Ducati rider will aim to rejoin the MotoGP grid only when fully fit, rather than risk a premature comeback early in the 2026 season.