Raúl Fernández third in Indonesia: "I've been waiting for this for four years"

Powered by MotoGP In 2022 with the Tech3 team, it was quickly clear that Raúl Fernández would have benefited from an additional year in Moto2, he who was one of the few to move up to the premier class after only one year in the intermediate class. This was the beginning of an uphill battle for the young Spaniard, which saw him quickly move from KTM to Aprilia, with the doubts that went with it.

Fernández has never hidden this fact, relying on one-offs rather than overall speed to maintain his place in MotoGP each year. The Madrid native has had some difficult periods, which resurfaced at the end of the Sprint of the Indonesian Grand Prix, where he placed his Aprilia from the Trackhouse team on the podium for the first time, with an emotional third place.

"I was on the verge of crying.", he said on Canal+. “My four years in MotoGP weren't easy; the project was complicated. Then came the decision to move to Aprilia, and I'm happy because they never stopped believing in me. Even in the most difficult moments, they always supported me. I don't have the words. I hope that tomorrow we can have at least the same race in terms of sensations, giving our all like today. On the last lap, when I saw the gap to Alex Márquez behind me, I even forgot how to ride the bike because I'd been waiting for this for four years.”

It may also be these four difficult years that are pushing Raúl Fernández not to make any plans for the Grand Prix this Sunday. While he will once again start from the front row with an Aprilia that seems perfectly suited to the Indonesian circuit of Mandalika, the number 25 also knows that between the Sprint and a Grand Prix, there is a gulf. The objective is therefore very simple: to have fun, and the result should come by itself!

“On Sunday, I'm not really thinking about the podium, even though I want to be there, of course. I have to try to forget about that and just ride at 100%. With the medium tire, the race could be a little different. In the Sprint, with the soft tire, the sensations are very different on the bike. I'm riding the bike with a big smile, which I haven't done for years, I'll see what result I can get tomorrow.”

For the first time, at least, Fernandez will line up on the starting grid knowing he has the ability to reach a MotoGP podium. And sometimes, those kinds of thoughts are absolutely liberating...

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