Raul Fernandez: “Lucky, one of the biggest crashes of my life”
“It was one of the biggest crashes of my life. So just I can say I was lucky."
Raul Fernandez will attempt to ride in tomorrow’s Buriram MotoGP test just one week after sustaining fractures to his left hand and foot on the opening day of the Sepang test.
The Trackhouse Aprilia rider immediately returned to Barcelona for surgery on the broken metacarpal bone before flying back to Asia in time for the final pre-season test.
“I’m lucky to be here,” said Fernandez at Buriram on Tuesday. “After the crash, I came back immediately to Spain. I really appreciate what Dr Xavier Mir did because I landed in Barcelona and he had everything ready for surgery. And for that reason, I am here today. He helped me a lot.
“The crash was just one week ago, so [everything had to be done] fast. I had to travel to Europe, have surgery and come back. It was not easy, but we are here.”
With reigning champion and new Aprilia signing Jorge Martin also injured on day one at Sepang - and out until the opening race weekend - Fernandez and Aprilia need to try and make up for lost track time with the RS-GP25.
“It is important for me, it is important for the team and also for Aprilia. We need this test,” Fernandez said.
“I need more information because the first impression of the bike was so good. I was happy with the work Aprilia made this winter. But it was just 25-30 laps, so we don't have enough information to create a base set-up.
“So for that reason I am here. I will not thinking about the [lap] time, I will not think about anything more than just focusing on myself, trying to know the bike, improve the bike and prepare something nice for the race."
Fernandez didn’t want to dwell on his strange Turn 9 accident, which saw the Spaniard lose control moments after touching the brakes.
“What happened? I cannot say a lot. I don't want to think too much about the crash,” he said. “It was one of the biggest crashes of my life. So just I can say I was lucky.
“I was on the bike, and a few seconds later I remember I was on the ground. And that's it.”
It remains to be seen how many laps his injuries will allow him to complete at the test, with Fernandez revealing the foot (which didn’t require surgery) is more painful than the hand.
“The hand is more or less good, the problem is the foot,” he said. “Also I have a lot of pain in the leg muscle and on the back.
"I was straight [upright] and I crashed immediately. I was not with [lean angle] banking, so the impact was quite big.”
With Martin and Fernandez sidelined, new factory signing Marco Bezzecchi was the fastest Aprilia rider at Sepang, in ninth.
The Buriram test takes place on Wednesday and Thursday.
Quotes provided by Crash.net journalist Derry Munikartono at Buriram.
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.
