MotoGP's worst-kept secret is out of the bag

Yamaha is yet to officially announce Augusto Fernandez as its new MotoGP test rider, but the Spaniard has confirmed his new role himself.

Fernandez will join Yamaha as its official test rider for the 2025 season, and the Spanish rider is expected to be on the bike before the end of 2024.

“I’m very happy as I’ve been saying in the last races,” Fernandez said on his signing with Yamaha, which is still to be officially announced, when speaking to MotoGP.com during the Barcelona test.

“We were so close to doing it, and finally we will do it.”

Although his future is secure, Fernandez is not yet certain when he will first be able to ride the YZR-M1. He couldn’t ride in the post-race Barcelona test because of the arrival of the Pramac team to Yamaha’s MotoGP programme.

“It’s difficult because they have a lot of work with the Pramac guys, with a new team and a new project for 2025,” Fernandez said.

“We will try to ride before the end of the year in December. It’s not confirmed, but we’re trying hard to get the first test of the bike before the end of the year.”

Fernandez does at least know that he will have six races for Yamaha next year, as he expects to fill all of their wildcard entries.

“I’ll be doing all the wildcards possible — they have six, so I’ll be racing all six,” he said.

“Ready for this new project, it’s different, a different role. It’s hard to see the bikes riding now and not being on the track.”

The Spanish rider added that “we will discuss the calendar of the wildcards in the next weeks,” confirming that he does not know yet where his first one will be.

Finally, Fernandez touched on being able to speak to other riders involved in Yamaha’s test programme, notably Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso, and benefit from their respective MotoGP experience.

“It’s good because Cal [Crutchlow] has a lot of experience, also Dovi [Andrea Dovizioso],” Fernandez said.

“It’s super-nice to be with them, all the experience they have of MotoGP, now as a test rider.

“I can’t wait to be working with them, riding with them, and comparing without the stress of all the racing weekends; riding the MotoGP bike and getting to know all these comments and how they approach the day.”