The 2025 Rookie Of The Year is still recovering from injury.
We’re just two weeks away from the Buriram Test, and only three weeks from the season-opening Thai Grand Prix. But there’s bad news at Gresini, who have officially announced that Fermín Aldeguer will miss the start of the season.
The Spaniard is still recovering from a fractured femur, which came as the result of a horrible crash during a pre-season training event in Valencia. Despite the solid push to get rehabilitated after his surgery in early January, there simply wasn’t enough time for Aldeguer to get the medical clearance he needed.
Gresini Announce Replacement Rider
Gresini have turned to Ducati test rider Michele Pirro to stand in at the Thai Grand Prix. The 39 year old has a wealth of experience behind him, having won the Italian Supersport Championship in 2009. He also raced in the Superstock World Championship in both 2009 and 2010.
Whilst he had a brief cameo in Moto2 during the 2010 Aragon Grand Prix, Pirro made a more permanent move to Moto2 with Gresini in 2011. The following year, he joined them in MotoGP where he finished 15th in the championship.
Since 2013, he’s been the test rider for Ducati, participating in at least one race every year as either a wildcard entry or a substitute for injured riders. During the 2025 season, he stood in for an injured Marc Márquez at both the Australian and Malaysian rounds.
How long Pirro will need to stand in can’t be said for certain. Meanwhile, Aldeguer will be focussing his efforts to hopefully return for round 2 in Brazil.
Feature Image credit – By Liauzh – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link