MotoGP, Augusto Fernandez: "I have no false hope. If I'm not fast, I won't have a contract."

Even if Augusto Fernandez scored his first points in the Portuguese GP, thanks to an 11th-place finish in the race, this second year in the MotoGP hasn't started in the best of ways for the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 team rider. Fernandez is once again sharing the garage with rookie Pedro Acosta, who had already been his teammate in the Moto2 in 2022 on the Red Bull KTM Ajo team. And the 26-year-old is the most affected, more so than any of his brandmates, by the comparison with the newcomer, despite having an RC16 that's essentially identical to those of the factory riders.

It's the new carbon frame developed by the Austrian constructor that's been giving Fernandez trouble, even as early as the pre-season tests, making it difficult for him to adapt to the 2024 bike. "It's a difficult time. It's my second year, and it's hard to admit it, but it's like starting from scratch," the Spanish  rider confessed to Motorsport.com over the weekend in Portimão. "We know we're in a bad place, but we're looking for solutions to see if we can find the answer,"  the 2022 Moto2 World Champion continued. In Portugal, he had benefited from the new aerodynamic parts that KTM brought to the Algarve circuit.

Augusto had received the upgrades with a slight delay compared to his teammates and, even if he was still able to use the new rear tail and front wheel cover developed by the Matthighofen-based  constructor, he didn't benefit much from the new parts."I wish it was just an aerodynamic problem, but it's a bit bigger," he confessed, concerned about the repercussions this troubled start could have on his future, and not only in terms of support from the parent company.

Despite the fact that the season has just begun, the riders market is still always in turmoil, and Augusto - who was already faltering from last season - knows very well that he's risking his job if he doesn't start achieving good results soon. "Of course, I have no false hope here. If you don't have speed, and you're not fast, you won't get any help and, next year, you won't have a contract," he admitted.  "It's clear that it's a decisive year, and I have to hurry to be there. I'm the first who doesn't want to be that far behind."