Iker Lecuona will make a surprise return to MotoGP this weekend, stepping in at Gresini Racing to replace the injured Alex Marquez for the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park.
The Spaniard, who currently races for Ducati's factory team in the World Superbike Championship alongside Nicolo Bulega, gets the call for the eighth round of the season as Marquez continues his recovery from the injuries he suffered in a crash at the Catalan Grand Prix on 17 May. Those injuries had already ruled the championship contender out of the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, and he is not fit to return at the Hungarian circuit either.
For Lecuona, 26, it is a significant moment. He last lined up in the premier class at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, and the weekend will mark his first MotoGP outing aboard a Ducati. He made no secret of his gratitude for the opportunity.
"I'm obviously happy, and I thank Ducati for giving me this opportunity, as well as Gresini, who agreed to let me ride their bike," Lecuona said.
The 26-year-old also expressed quiet optimism about the venue, a relatively new addition to the calendar that has already become a regular stop for the World Superbike paddock.
"Balaton is a track I like. I'm fast there, and we'll see what we can do, but having fun remains the main goal," he said.
The choice of Lecuona over his title-chasing World Superbike team-mate Bulega was a deliberate one. With Bulega locked in a championship fight in the production-based series, Ducati opted to protect that campaign rather than pull its leading rider out for a one-off MotoGP cameo, making Lecuona, a rider with grand prix experience and a current Ducati contract, the logical stand-in.
Lecuona is no stranger to switching between disciplines. He spent two seasons in MotoGP with the Tech3 KTM squad in 2020 and 2021 before moving to World Superbikes with Honda, and he has since rebuilt his career into a front-running force on the Aruba.it Ducati. A strong showing at Balaton Park could do his reputation no harm at all in a paddock where seats are always at a premium.
For Gresini, the priority is continuity while one of its main assets recovers. Alex Marquez had been enjoying a strong season before his Barcelona crash, and the team will be keen to keep its second Ducati on track and gathering data until he is ready to return. For Lecuona, the brief is simpler: enjoy an unexpected grand prix weekend, and make the most of a rare second chance in the premier class.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/lecuona-replaces-alex-marquez-hungarian-gp-gresini-2026). Visit for full coverage.*
