MotoGP: are Oliveira and Fernandez right for Team RNF Aprilia?

The world championship rider market has been bubbling for a while already. With each day that passes, another piece of the 2023 puzzle slots into place. However, there are a good number of riders who are still to make their future plans official, Joan Mir for example (Honda-bound) or Raul Fernandez. Last year’s Moto2 runner-up looks set to move to Aprilia, specifically to Razlan Razali’s RNF team, which currently competes with Yamaha bikes. If the plan comes together, Fernandez’s team-mate should be Miguel Oliveira, who is as good as confirmed aboard the Italian bike.

Miguel Oliveira in the role of "first rider”

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The Noale manufacturer’s decision is clear, to focus on an experienced, reliable rider like Miguel Oliveira and pair him with a young hopeful like Raul Fernandez. And yet this potential pairing is not without its perplexities, with the Portuguese having never been one of the category’s top riders and with the young rookie who is perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season so far, having scored just five points in eleven races.

The Portuguese rider would be leaving KTM after four years in MotoGP, experience that would definitely help at Aprilia, with the manufacturer gaining a rider who could also contribute to the development of the bikes. Oliveira isn’t exactly one of the quickest and most explosive in the reigning class, although he has won four races (16 in total across the three classes), but of the riders currently available on the market, he would clearly be an important addition to an already competitive camp, the Espargaró-Viñales pairing destined to grow further next year.

Betting on Fernandez

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The latest rumours continue to link Raul Fernandez to the Aprilia of Team RNF, a decision that makes sense in terms of the rider’s age and achievements to date, but that also throws up a few questions. Although the current standings see the Spanish rookie place last, with just five points, his talent has never been up for discussion, to the extent that several manufacturers have already shown an interest. Last season, Fernandez just missed out on the title in the intermediate class, winning eight races, and in his rookie year no less. All this bodes very well for the 21-year old, but the Spaniard isn’t exactly shining in his first MotoGP season, in fact he’s really struggling to make an impression.

It should be noted that his adventure with KTM didn’t get off to the best start, as it wasn’t the Spaniard’s first choice and he found himself aboard a bike that was probably not up to the level of the competition. Mentally speaking, Fernandez wasn’t ready for this, suffering perhaps more than he should as a result. That said, Aprilia would be making an interesting move, gaining a rider who was one of the most sought after up until last year and who, in the right context, has all the potential to become a top rider.

Translated by Heather Watson

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