MotoGP, 2023 crucial for a Raúl Fernández who seeks a comeback

Rookie of the year Raul Fernández fell short after arriving in the top class surrounded by an aura of anticipation, attracting more interest than Remy Gardner, who took the 2021 Moto2 title, finishing ahead of the young Spaniard. The season was fraught with difficulties, from a tense atmosphere in the Austrian garage to the rookie’s desire to switch teams and, of course, the results on track. Fernández concluded his first reigning class season in 22nd place, with just 14 points and two twelfth-place finishes his best result. A decidedly meagre tally considering the Spaniard’s previous achievements. Two Moto3 race wins in 2020 and eight victories (like Bagnaia in his own 2018 title season) in his one and only Moto2 season, which he finished as runner-up.

 

Fernández far from his KTM colleagues

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The Spaniard failed to live up to expectations, which were high but justified considering his Moto2 season. Aside from the fact that the situation in the garage was far from ideal for a rookie, particularly one who didn’t hide the fact he wanted to be riding a different bike, the technical aspects didn’t help either. As Fernández himself admits, he never found feeling with the bike and, while Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira were able to get the best out of the bike and score some strong results, the Spaniard languished towards the back of the field.

His main issues had to do with front feeling and braking, problems that were never solved and persisted throughout the year. Despite arriving in MotoGP on a par with the other rookies with whom he had competed in Moto2, Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi and Gardner, the Spaniard looked to be the least prepared and clearly the least competitive. And this led to doubts about his speed, influenced at least in part by the difficulties of the KTM.

 

The Aprilia challenge in 2023

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It has to be said that the Austrian bike was not the best, or simplest, machine with which to debut in the top class. Any comparisons with Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi aboard the Ducati proved lethal, perhaps overly conditioned by the extreme competitiveness of the Italian bike. In 2023 the Spaniard will ride the Aprilia, accepting the offer of a team that is ready to take a bet on him, recognising the talent that was clear to see up until 12 months ago.

At just 23 and in only his second MotoGP season, Fernández has it all to play for and will need to demonstrate that he can reach the top part of the timesheets if he wants to remain in the reigning class. Although the Aprilia took clear steps forward in 2022, the Noale bike is no sure thing for Fernández, but the rider cannot afford any false moves right now, particularly aboard a bike that was in the mix for the title.

He’s already experienced something of a red light, the Valencia tests failing to bring any immediate improvement, in contrast to his fellow Aprilia riders who were all very fast. It is very telling that Fernández’s team-mate Miguel Oliveira was immediately quick aboard the Noale machine, despite also coming from KTM. Aprilia will have to work hard to safeguard and highlight the talents of a rider who, at just 23, risks ‘getting burned’, despite the fact that he’s one of the young riders with the greatest potential right now.