Augusto Fernandez

Having lost his Tech3 KTM seat, Augusto Fernandez puts his MotoGP career on pause in 2025 by switching to test and wild-card duties for Yamaha - but with the clear intention of finding his way back onto the full-time grid.

Augusto Fernandez - Route to MotoGP

One of the few MotoGP riders never to have raced in 125cc/Moto3, Fernandez stepped straight from the CEV Moto2 series into the Moto2 World Championship via a seat at Speed Up in 2019. 

Fernandez progressed from six points in his rookie season to 45 in year two, after switching to Kalex machinery at the Pons HP40 team.

Three wins and fifth in the world championship followed in 2019 but a move to Marc VDS saw the victories dry up in 2020 and 2021.

But Fernandez rebounded in style and struck gold with Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2022, overcoming the likes of rookie team-mate Pedro Acosta and main title rival Ai Ogura to win the Moto2 crown.

Augusto Fernandez in MotoGP

GASGAS Tech3 (2023 - 2024)

Fernandez followed in the wheeltracks of Iker Lecuona and Remy Gardner with a move up to MotoGP via Tech3 KTM (branded as GASGAS) for 2023.

Fernandez enjoyed a promising first half to his rookie MotoGP season, scoring in all 11 rounds including the stand-out highlight of a fourth-place finish at Le Mans. 

The Spaniard was also in the top ten at Catalunya and Motegi, although the year ended with six frustrating non-scores in the last nine events.

Reunited with superstar rookie Acosta at Tech3 for 2024, Fernandez never felt comfortable on the RC16's carbon fibre chassis (raced by the factory KTM team since the closing rounds of 2023) and scored just 27 points, compared to 71 in his rookie campaign.

Like Jack Miller, Fernandez discovered his KTM fate when both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales signed for the Austrian manufacturer in the aftermath of Mugello.

After being linked with WorldSBK and even a return to Moto2, the likes of Fabio Quartararo helped persuade Fernandez that his best path back to MotoGP was to take on the Yamaha test riding role, alongside Cal Crutchlow.

Fernandez will thus play a key role in helping Yamaha develop a new V4 engine, alongside the M1's traditional Inline4 powerplant.