The 2025 season kicked off in style as always, and for the new rookies, it was a test of endurance. Among the rookies was Germán Aldeguer, who is riding for Gresini Racing, and he finished in 13th place. Which was below his expectations, but still a respectable result for a debut.

First Race

Aldeguer knew the Thailand Grand Prix would be one of the toughest tracks in his rookie season, mostly due to the extreme heat. But even when he didn’t hit his goal for a top-10 finish, he was still satisfied just to have finished the race in the first place and gained valuable experience.

“We can stay calm because we finished the race, got more kilometers, and gained more experience,” Aldeguer said. “This is one of the hardest tracks because of the temperature and racing closely with other riders.”

Mental Battle

The intense conditions pushed Aldeguer to his limits, not just physically but also mentally. He admitted that self-doubt had dominated as the laps were coming to an end.

“My mind kept telling me, ‘You can’t finish this race in this heat while managing the tires,’” he revealed. “I saw all the other riders overtaking me, fighting for the top 10. But in the end, I told myself, ‘If I’m struggling, they must be feeling the same way.’”

But with his determination, Aldeguer gave it everything he had and secured 13th place, which earned him three points. And while he had hoped for a better result, he remains optimistic: “We fought hard, and we can stay calm knowing we did our best.”

However, for Aldeguer, the most difficult part wasn’t the race itself, but the adaptation to the weekend format. Because unlike in Moto2, where riders have more time to adjust, the intense schedule in MotoGP leaves less room for mistakes.

“The hardest thing was the fast pace of the whole weekend,” he explained. “You have to set a good time in the first practice, then there’s the time attack, the Sprint race, and finally the long race. It’s exhausting, and that’s the biggest difference from Moto2.”

And with more races ahead, he is ready to get better results and improve his position in MotoGP.