Brivio confirms: ‘Sachsenring Raul Fernandez's last race on 2023 Aprilia’

Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio has confirmed that this weekend’s German MotoGP will be Raul Fernandez’s last event on the old, 2023-spec, RS-GP.

The Spaniard is currently the only Aprilia rider without the 2024 bike, but the factory pledged to update his machinery as soon as possible.

Although engine spec must remain unchanged during a season, unless a manufacturer is in the lowest concession ranking (Honda and Yamaha), the ‘24 Aprilia engine is thought to be very similar to last year’s design.

Fernandez, currently 12th in the world championship, is thus set to race the 2024 package for the first time after the summer break at Silverstone, to coincide with Aprilia’s in-season fairing update.

“For Raul, it will be the last race on the 2023 Aprilia RS-GP,” Brivio said ahead of the Sachsenring.

After a disastrous start to the year, being injured on the opening day of the Sepang test and retiring from the opening two rounds, the young Spaniard briefly led in the Catalunya Sprint, took the team’s best result of the season with sixth the next day and - after arm pump surgery - was back in the top ten at Assen (eighth).

“I’m happy because we come off a good result in Assen,” Fernandez said. “We did a good job there and first of all, I want to feel ready and 100% fit because I had this heavy crash in Assen that was quite painful. I’m sure I will feel better after a few days of rest.

“So, for Sachsenring, I just want to be happy, try to get to Q2, take it day by day and aim to be relaxed. This is the key because when we are doing a good job and when we are relaxed and enjoying racing, we are fast. This is the goal for Germany as well.”

While the factory Aprilia team has confirmed its all-new future line-up of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, Trackhouse is yet to announce any riders for 2025.

Aprilia’s need for continuity means at least one of the Trackhouse duo will surely stay, and Fernandez’s recent form has come at just the right time. 

Meanwhile, team-mate and five-time KTM race winner Miguel Oliveira, granted a 2024 machine from the start of this year, is only 16th in the standings.

“Sachsenring is a very unique and interesting track. It’s very short with a lot of left corners,” Oliveira said. “Usually, I’ve always been very competitive in Germany so I am definitely looking forward to getting there for this last round of the first half of this season, before the break and trying to get a good feeling straight away with the RS-GP24 and close off with good form and points.”