Raul Fernandez: 2024 Aprilia delay 'doesn't matter’, ‘really liked’ Valencia bike

While Miguel Oliveira has been upgraded to 2024 factory spec Aprilias with immediate effect, Trackhouse team-mate Raul Fernandez’s MotoGP machinery is less clear.

During the rebranded team’s American launch, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said: “The full factory spec will be at the beginning for Miguel and then quite soon also for Raul.”

That raised eyebrows since the MotoGP technical freeze for manufacturers in the A, B or C concession ranking - Ducati (A), KTM (C) and Aprilia (C) - prevents their riders from changing engine specifications during the season.

Therefore, Fernandez would need to start the new campaign with 2024 spec engines if he is to receive a ‘full’ factory bike later in the year. The alternative scenario would be a hybrid bike, with the 2024 chassis and aero being fitted to the 2023 engine.

“Honestly, I don't know 100% when the new bike will arrive for me,” Fernandez said.

But the Spaniard confirmed he expects to do ‘some races’ on the double race-winning 2023 machine and is very much seeing the positives after taking the bike to fifth place on his debut in the Valencia test.

“What I know is that with the [2023] bike that I tried at the Valencia test, I felt really comfortable. I really liked it. Especially something that was a surprise for me was the front part of the bike,” he revealed.

Raul Fernandez: “I jumped on the new Aprilia and was fast, fast, fast!”

“I know that material worked very, very well. So for me it will be interesting to have it at the beginning of the year, to have some races with this material [and] not have to think about trying new material or new parts of the bike. Just enjoy on the bike and try to do my maximum. 

"I feel that I will arrive at the first race with a lot of experience with this [2023] bike and that is something important for me.

“Honestly, I will not think about when I will have the [2024] bike but it is something that doesn't matter. I want to do my maximum. I want to enjoy like the last part of last year.

“I think the material that I will have will work very well.”

Likewise, the 23-year-old, who took a career-best fifth place in last year’s Valencia finale, is happy that his familiar RNF crew will be unchanged in the new Trackhouse era.

“For both [Oliveira and I] it will be the same crew, same mechanics, same crew chief,” Fernandez said. “To have a second tear with the same people will be really good, especially in my case because it will be the first time in my career that I will do two years with the same people.”

But the involvement of Trackhouse might open up some new opportunities outside of MotoGP.

“I want to try a NASCAR!” Fernandez smiled.