EXCLUSIVE: MotoGP’s most at-risk rider in “the worst situation I can be in”

Augusto Fernandez’ hopes of maintaining a MotoGP ride for 2025 are affirmatively in doubt after a first half of the 2024 season which left him 17th in the riders’ standings.

The #37 has been de facto dropped by KTM — which has promoted his current GasGas Tech3 teammate Pedro Acosta to the factory team for next year alongside Brad Binder, and brought in Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales to Tech3.

“I’m in the worst situation I can be,” Fernandez exclusively told Crash.net at Silverstone.

“I’m kind of out of MotoGP, so now I just focus on jumping on the bike and making the most of every minute I’m on track.”

The #37 insists his priority is to stay in MotoGP, though, in one of the few seats that currently remains open for 2025, such as one of the two Pramac Yamaha seats, or that alongside Raul Fernandez at the Trackhouse Aprilia squad.

“It’s not easy, but I want to finish all the opportunities that I can have here in MotoGP,” Fernandez said, although he also conceded that there “are not so many”.

Although Fernandez’ position seems bleak, it’s one that was experienced by Fabio Di Giannantonio last year. With Di Giannantonio having entered last year’s summer break seemingly out of MotoGP, the Italian is now reportedly on the verge of securing a 2025-spec Ducati for next season.

Fernandez’ desire to remain in MotoGP is coupled with a determination to avoid moving back to Moto2, where he was World Champion in 2022.

“For the moment, the last thing to do is go back to Moto2,” he said, while adding that “I hear everything. My manager is sitting with everyone and hearing everything, every offer.”

If a MotoGP deal does not materialise for Fernandez, though, WorldSBK is an option he is open to.

“It [WorldSBK] would be my second choice, or my second priority,” he said, “even before Moto2 because I’m still young [26], and I know I still have a lot to do in this world.

“Superbike is not the end of the world, there’s a career there, people having fun and enjoying racing there which is what we’re looking for also.

“It’s been a tough year in MotoGP, for sure I know I have a lot more to do here in MotoGP, but as I said [Superbike] is not the end of the world and if there is a good bike in Superbike I will take it.”

Although it’s not absolutely clear what Fernandez considers to be a good bike in the context of WorldSBK, the Spanish rider admits that “It’s a championship that has very nice races — a lot of fights, lots of overtakes. But it’s not my priority now; I will think about Superbike when it’s clear that I go there, not for the moment.”

Whether Fernandez remains in the Grand Prix paddock or heads to WorldSBK is not something he expects to take too long from now to determine, though.

“I need to get my future [secured], and it’s not going to be [waiting] until Valencia. Now, the contracts are signed in Qatar [MotoGP’s first race], so it’s going to be now [that Fernandez’ future will be decided].”