Iker Lecuona says confidence in Michelin\u2019s front tyre was a key factor in his impressive MotoGP speed for Gresini.<\/p>\n
On a weekend when Pol Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez highlighted the scale of the difference between riding the current and future MotoGP machines, fellow stand-in Iker Lecuona admitted: \u201cI like the Michelin a lot!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ducati WorldSBK star Lecuona was making his second MotoGP appearance of the season for Gresini Ducati, this time in place of the injured Fermin Aldeguer.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard, who finished seventh on Alex Marquez's factory-spec bike at Balaton Park, again impressed when he qualified tenth on Aldeguer's satellite-spec GP25 at Silverstone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I don't know, but I feel really good with the front,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI don't know if it's the Ducati or myself, but I have really, really good feedback with the front tyre.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if sometimes I lose or I lock the front a little bit, I can save it, so I know the limit well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for Lecuona, he lost the rear after tangling with Franco Morbidelli in the Sprint, then was among seven riders who crashed out of the grand prix, while in 14th.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, his confidence on Michelin rubber – which he first used during his full-time MotoGP career – could prove especially useful for 2027, when the French manufacturer takes over from Pirelli as WorldSBK's single tyre supplier.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still cannot talk [about that], but I like the Michelin a lot!\u201d Lecuona smiled.<\/p>\n
Aldeguer, who fractured a vertebra at Assen, is expected to return at the next round in Aragon.<\/p>\n
Lecuona, meanwhile, is currently the only rider to have beaten team-mate Nicolo Bulega in this year\u2019s WorldSBK championship.<\/p>\n
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez\u2019s injury issues.<\/p>\n
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