MotoGP, Barcelona, Augusto Fernandez: "I will be at Yamaha as a test rider, with 6 Wildcards"
The Spanish rider has been relegated to the Moto2 World Championship due to the absence of teams in the premier class
The Galician rider is undergoing surgery on Monday to treat a 'floating elbow' that will keep him from competing in Silverstone
Augusto Fernandez has had a bumpy season in MotoGP. The rider had an outstanding debut in the premier class in which he was able to get a podium in Qatar as a rookie and an outstanding performance at Mugello where he finished fifth. However, the poor performance of the KTM RC16 and the lack of confidence in the bike forced him to be relegated to Moto2 for next season due to the absence of teams in the top category.
The KTM structure had no room for him with Brad Binder and Jack Miller confirmed for the factory team and Pol Espargaro signed for the GasGas team. The options for the rider were to go to Gresini, WithU, or RNF, but there were no places available at those teams. On the other hand, in Moto2 he had a place secured with the Red Bull KTM Ajo, the team he was with in his final year in the intermediate category.
Fernandez has been able to test with Yamaha in the days prior to the Barcelona Grand Prix and left a good impression in the Iwata structure. So much so that the team have offered him to be a test rider and to compete as a wildcard in six races throughout the 2023 season.
"I am very happy and grateful for the opportunity that Yamaha has given me. I will be a test rider and will compete in six Grands Prix with the bike of last year", expressed the rider to the microphones of 'DAZN'. The bike in question will be that of Andrea Dovizioso with which he managed to finish tenth last campaign in the intermediate category.
"The bike is very different from the KTM, it has a different engine and requires a very different riding style. I am sincerely happy because it is a new project that motivates me and I know that I can learn a lot. It is also positive that I can combine my role as a test rider with that of competing with the Yamaha M1 in six races.
Rumours about a possible landing of a Spanish rider in the Yamaha team had been circulating for days. In fact, the option of his compatriot, Jorge Martin, was also being considered in the event that Ducati had decided not to renew his contract for next season, a fact that would have opened the possibility for Fernandez to once again have a place in the premier class with the Pramac team.
