Iker Lecuona steps in for Alex Marquez at Qatar grand prix

Here is a wild turn for the 2026 Grand Prix season: Iker Lecuona is heading back to the MotoGP paddock. The 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship runner-up, currently with Aruba.it Racing - Ducati, has been called up for his fourth replacement ride with the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP team.

He is stepping in because Alex Marquez underwent surgery on Wednesday. The medical procedure involved extracting osteosynthesis material from his right collarbone and left hand, alongside an additional arthroscopic bursectomy.

Lecuona is no stranger to climbing onto the Ducati Desmosedici for this squad. The last time he filled in for the MotoGP #73, he delivered his career-best performance in that paddock by finishing P7, showing some genuinely brilliant flashes during what has been his first season participating in MotoGP since 2023.

That is not even the best part of the garage dynamic. He will share the track at the Lusail International Circuit with his 2027 teammate, Franco Morbidelli. You are going to want to keep a very close eye on these two when the action gets underway from November 6th to November 8th.