Let's Talk MotoGP: Here's Why Fermin Aldeguer Could Have Been Rider of the Day

Johann Zarco won the French MotoGP Grand Prix, and also, the new award of the moment: the Driver of the Day trophy. This title, introduced at the Spanish GP, is directly inspired by what has been done in Formula 1 for several years now. Fans can congratulate the most outstanding Sunday performance, and while I don't question the relevance of Zarco's choice, I think Fermin Aldeguer could have been elected.

 

Awesome

 

Frankly, Fermin impresses me more and more.. You might think these weather conditions would favor experience, and that's probably true, in a way. But he, despite his young age and five races under his belt, handled himself like a pro. It all started well before Sunday. First, he qualified fourth, an excellent result. Lap speed is a much underestimated factorThose who regularly win are bound to be good at qualifying, and this is proven throughout history. He has good pace, we know that, but without an appetite for flying laps, this quality is often reduced to nothing.

 

 

In the Sprint, he got away from Fabio Quartararo to take third place, with a rather aggressive overtaking move at the Museum, probably too much in fact. He is still somewhat clumsy in battles, but who can throw stones at him? This result alone would have been enough to make his French Grand Prix a successful round, but it doesn't stop there. On Sunday, he really blew me away.

The cacophony at the start is everything a rookie hates. In addition to the new rules to learn, he had to stay focused, adapt quickly to the slick and then the rain tyres, and compete in his race trying to achieve the best possible result.. If I'm not talking nonsense, The drivers have only had one wet session so far : FP1 in Austin. Going from that to a race flag-to-flag-to-flag Le Mans is a completely different matter. And yet, he delivered his finest performance yet.

For his choices, he revealed his technique as both candid and intelligent. Since he doesn't have the experience, he decided to simply follow the others. This still requires putting his ego aside, because a twenty-year-old who succeeds in everything in MotoGP could very well tell himself that his chance is there, that he has the right to try. But that would have been a mistake. He preferred to learn live.

During the race, I saw a monstrous AldeguerHe quickly understood that one of the main challenges was to stay on his wheels. He then adapted to these conditions without ever getting angry, even after a small excursion at Garage Vert. I had the impression of seeing a very dedicated driver, and a fast one at that.

 

 

In the final laps, he even overtook Pedro Acosta to finish third; moreover, he was the author of some well-judged overtaking moves that other older drivers would not have dared to makeWhen you mix the passion of youth with the humility of a student, you get Fermin Aldeguer.

 

Points to work on, but the most important thing is there

 

Getting onto your first podium after six races is a crazy accomplishment. Indeed, How can we imagine the future for Aldeguer? Personally, I believe he can go very far, because his work ethic, honed in the team he rides for, can truly work miracles. He has one of the best bikes of all time, yes, but he's not ridiculous alongside Bagnaia and the Marquez brothers.

He has far more qualities than defects, that's obvious. His strength, in my opinion, is his natural speed. It's often said that it's easier to slow down a fast rider than to make a consistent rider faster. So, I'm not too worried about his level of commitment, which Alex Marquez considered almost too high after the Qatar GP – he claimed that he approached each lap of the race like a qualifying lap –. This played tricks on him in the United States, but also in Jerez.

 

 

His biggest problem, in my opinion, is his overtaking. I've never hidden my dislike for riders who lack tact when overtaking, like Brad Binder and Alex Marquez. Fermin Aldeguer struggles to impose himself cleanly on the track, and this is already the second time his opponent has been forced to sharply raise the bike at the apex to avoid an accident. I have confidence in him, but I just hope he doesn't fall victim to this trend of blockpass, and that he will let himself be tempted, as he learns, by the art of overtaking that Fabio Quartararo, Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jorge Martin master almost perfectly, the four best in this field in my opinion.

Also beware of the famous mid-season slump that affects rookies. Jorge Lorenzo explained it perfectly: when he arrived in MotoGP, everything went well for him, he had the impression that it was easy. Then the falls came, and the difficulties with themIt's a strange, but recurring pattern – it was also the case with Pedro Acosta in 2024. Generally, the very good players come back stronger afterwards, but be careful not to get carried away by negative momentum during this crucial period.

What do you think of Fermin Aldeguer since his arrival in MotoGP? Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport