Aprilia: “We expect a lot from Raul” | "We needed to be tough sometimes"
“We needed to be sometimes quite tough... Push him to keep trying something that maybe he doesn't like, but we know is faster."
With an all-new factory Aprilia line-up and the arrival of rookie Ai Ogura at Trackhouse, Raul Fernandez will be the only MotoGP rider to start the new season with race experience on an RS-GP.
It’s quite a turnaround for Fernandez, who began the year as the only Aprilia rider on the 2023 spec bike and with question marks over his future after being left 22nd (Tech3 KTM) and 20th (RNF Aprilia) in his previous premier-class campaigns.
But Fernandez delivered some career-saving rides on the older spec machine, including briefly leading the Catalunya Sprint and sixth in the Grand Prix.
The rider market sprung into top gear at around the same time with Aleix Espargaro announcing his retirement, Jorge Martin signing but Maverick Vinales leaving.
Fernandez continued his run of form with eighth at Assen, then a front row in Germany, his final event before being upgraded to the 2024 spec parts.
The Spaniard had been eager to join the others on the latest machine.
But after scoring 46 points over nine rounds on the ’23 bike, he managed just 20 points over 11 events on the ‘24 machine and was left 16th in the standings.
“We expect a lot from Raul,” Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola told MotoGP.com.
“In 2024, we had already a big expectation. But he had the change of the bike during the season, and then he was not really confident on that [2024] one.
“And let's not forget that he missed the Sepang test at the beginning [through injury].
“I think that Raul can deliver quite a good performance and, obviously, it's up to us to give him a good bike.”
But Rivola also hinted that Fernandez needs to separate searching for a bike set-up that feels better, from a bike that performs better.
“I think that sometimes riders bring you to the direction to get… let's say the bike that is better for them to ride, that is not necessarily the fastest one on track,” Rivola said.
“So we needed to be sometimes quite tough and sure on our beliefs and push him to keep trying something that maybe he doesn't like, but we know is faster.
“So I think this will be the main job [next] year and I expect that also from our new technical director [Fabiano Sterlacchini] to push and find the best compromise.”
Rivola confirmed that all four Aprilia riders - Martin and Marco Bezzecchi at the factory team, Fernandez and Ogura at Trackhouse - will have the latest factory spec bikes from the opening test of 2025.
“Absolutely. We will have four bikes all the same in Sepang. That is actually the best way to develop the bike,” Rivola said.
“And it's also good to have Trackhouse so committed. It looks like watching [the Barcelona Test], having the two new riders [Martin and Bezzecchi] was also a boost for Raul.”
Fernandez was the fastest Aprilia rider at the test, in fifth place on the 2024 spec bike.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
