During the Sprint at Losail, Fermin Aldeguer took out Pecco Bagnaia; the poor Italian, who was having his first decent weekend in a long time, was launched into the Qatari sky before crashing heavily. It was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular crashes of the year, and the outcome is terrible. The factory Ducati rider suffered two fractures in his foot, which will likely end his time in red. But as crazy as it may seem, I'm going to defend… Fermin Aldeguer!
Have I lost my mind?
You'll probably think I'm crazy, because what he did is simply indefensible. That's partly true. Before I begin, I'd like to remind everyone that I like Pecco Bagnaia; he's easily one of my favorite drivers in modern history. And, on the other hand, I've never been particularly impressed by Fermin Aldeguer, even though I praised his performance in 2025. He's not a driver who excites me, let's just say. So, accusing me of favoritism, or whatever, won't get you anywhere.
I wanted to write this article because I saw 100% of people attacking him. On social media, but also in discussions with friends and family, I noticed that many wanted an even harsher punishment than two long suspensions, and some even mentioned a full suspension. That seems completely absurd to me, and I'll explain why in several points.
Fermin Aldeguer at his wit's end
Fermin Aldeguer has mitigating circumstances. That doesn't justify anything, but it explains it . First, we must consider the general fatigue on the MotoGP grid . This season, the most punishing since the introduction of the 990cc four-strokes in 2002, is grueling. The number of injuries, injuries, ailments, and exhaustion is countless. The Qatar Grand Prix was the third in three weeks, a rare phenomenon these days (the last triple header was in 2024). And at Losail, the gaunt faces of Aldeguer, Martin, Di Giannantonio, and Raul Fernandez betrayed this extreme exhaustion. I've already briefly touched on this in this article.
Fermin Aldeguer is part of this group, except that the situation is even more precarious for him. This year, he has already suffered very serious injuries; not once, not twice, but three times! He was making his big comeback in Qatar after missing two races, and, for me, this blatant overtaking attempt – we don't even know what he was really trying to do – reflects his physical and mental state more than his poor riding. As you know, I hate block passes and forced attempts of all kinds, which have become commonplace in recent years. But, in this case, I saw a loss of control, an error so enormous that it's difficult to detect, through it, even a hint of misplaced ambition.
In that sense, this accident reminds me a lot of Marco Bezzecchi 's crash in Mandalika last year, when he took out Marc Marquez. And, even back then, I used the same arguments to explain "Bez's" actions. The seasons are far too energy-intensive, far too intense, and the introduction of Sprints in 2023 has only exacerbated rider fatigue. That was Alex Marquez's point last year. According to him, the intensity of current seasons can easily lead to mistakes. And Pedro Acosta, for his part, asserted that modern MotoGP would force riders to retire earlier and earlier . I share their views.
Judge the action, not the consequence
Okay, I'm going to repeat myself, because this comes up every time there's an injury, but it's crucial to understand that in motorsport, it's essential to judge the cause, the action, not the consequence . Fermin Aldeguer braked too late and collided with Pecco Bagnaia; that's his responsibility. However, the way Bagnaia landed was beyond his control. Some people argue that the more serious the injury, the bigger the penalty should be. But that makes no sense. Fermin Aldeguer's botched block pass was ugly, sure, but no more so than Alex Marquez's on Joan Mir at Brno in 2025, for example. Yes, Bagnaia's crash was more serious than Mir's, granted, but the penalty should be the same; and it was, thanks to the excellent work of the stewards' panel led by Simon Crafar.
I have a question for those who support this ludicrous theory: if Bagnaia had lost his life in that crash, how would you have punished Aldeguer? Would you have revoked his license? And if Bagnaia misses two, three, four races, should the penalty be different? No, of course not, it should be given immediately, without delay, regardless of the fate of the rider who was hit.
Two long periods of time, isn't that enough?
In conclusion, what to make of the two long periods he was given? Well, in my opinion, it's fair: for two years now, driver collisions of this kind have been penalized in the same way, so it's very good . Freddie Spencer was sorely lacking in consistency in his decisions, but Crafar revolutionized the position with his correct arbitrations.
I'm curious to know what you think. Should Fermin Aldeguer have been banned from the paddock? Let me know in the comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial staff.
Cover photo: Instagram Fermin Aldeguer
