Augusto on Acosta: “We need to understand how he's riding that fast”
Augusto Fernandez: ‘We need to study how Pedro is riding this bike. [See] if I’m able to copy. He's riding amazingly and taking the maximum out of the bike.’
Pedro Acosta’s GASGAS Tech3 team-mate Augusto Fernandez isn’t afraid to admit he will be studying the teenager’s data to try and ‘understand how he’s riding that fast’.
Rookie Acosta has been the top KTM rider with podiums at the last two rounds and also led a MotoGP race for the first time at COTA.
The start of Fernandez’s second season in the premier-class has been far less favourable, with a best so far of eleventh (Portimao).
“Tough race,” Fernandez said after crossing the line 14th at COTA on Sunday. “But looking forward to being back in Europe, at Jerez, a track that I know how to go fast. [Where] maybe it's a little bit easier to understand how Pedro is riding this bike. Because he's riding amazingly and taking the maximum out of the bike.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in Jerez and if I'm able to copy and find out [how] to be closer at least.”
“I know I'm struggling,” Fernandez added. “All the KTMs, we choose the soft rear tyre, just Pedro with the medium. So that was a good choice by him!
“But he's understanding the class perfectly and especially the bike. He's riding with a lot of confidence and it’s what I said - I need maybe tracks that I know, to understand more how he's riding and if I'm able to copy some things.
“Jerez is a good track for me. We have the [Monday] test also to try things. If I have to put exactly his bike [settings] and try what he's doing, I will do it in the test.”
Asked to describe Acosta’s style from what he’s seen on the data so far, Fernandez replied:
“For sure it's something different, the way he's riding the bike… He has a lot of confidence in the front. And braking, he puts a lot of lean angle. He’s doing well.
“So, as I said, we need to study him a lot, also with how he's working with the body [because] he uses the body a lot. We have him in the box so we can copy!
“It won't change in one day, but let's see if we can make a step in Jerez and be closer to him.”
Fernandez added that he would have no complaints if KTM gave Acosta preferential treatment in terms of new parts.
“Now, he's the best of the factory,” he said. “Look at [Sunday], he's on the podium and the next KTM is in 9th position.
"He's riding well. He deserves the pieces, he deserves everything and we need to understand how he's riding that fast.”
