Finally, a test without a trip to the medical bay! For Raul Fernandez, the Sepang MotoGP test was a huge success, not because of a record-breaking lap time, but because he actually finished it. After two consecutive years of injuries derailing his pre-season at this very track, the relief is palpable for the Trackhouse Aprilia rider.
Imagine the scene: three grueling days of testing in Malaysia, pushing the limits of man and machine. Fernandez crossed the finish line exhausted but, more importantly, unharmed. This is a significant personal victory, especially considering he's coming off a surprise win in 2025. He clocked in tenth on the overall timesheets, just under a second behind the leader, Alex Marquez. "After two years, when I didn't finish the first day, now I feel good to end the test feeling destroyed after three days," he shared with a smile.
But here's where it gets crucial for the season ahead: Fernandez emphasized the immense importance of this test, particularly regarding the aerodynamic package. With a strict deadline for homologation before the next race in Thailand, the team needed to make a definitive choice. "We have to be convinced about what we want before Thailand, because we will not have time to homologate another aero package," he explained. Thankfully, he's happy with the decision made: "So about this I am really happy, because we decided on something that I like."
And this is the part most people miss: while the aero package is a win, Fernandez admits there are still areas of the RS-GP that need work. "I have some things that still I don't feel very comfortable on the bike with, so it means that we still have a lot of work to do," he confessed. The biggest hurdle? The time attack. He struggles to extract maximum performance when using the softest tires for a single, blistering lap. "The worst part is the time attack, especially when we want to use the soft tyre to make a faster lap, I can't do it. I can't use well my riding style at this moment when there is maximum grip." This is precisely what he and his team will be focusing on in Thailand: unlocking that extra potential with the soft tires.
Here's a point that might spark some debate: Fernandez pointed to his factory stablemate, Marco Bezzecchi, who topped the timesheets on the final afternoon, as a beacon of hope. "I think Aprilia made a really good job, and the bike is competitive again. As you see with Marco in the time attack, he was super fast," Fernandez noted. This raises a question: Is the difference between Fernandez's time attack struggles and Bezzecchi's success purely down to rider style, or are there fundamental differences in the bikes that Aprilia is allowing its factory riders to exploit? Fernandez believes the solution lies in understanding what the factory team did to achieve that speed. "We need to know what they made during the test to try to improve in the time attack, because I think if we improve the time attack, the race pace is always there." His teammate, Ai Ogura, finished twelfth fastest.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe the key to improving time attack lies in rider adaptation or bike development? Let us know in the comments below!
