Raul Fernandez, the winner at Silverstone, finished only 12th-fastest in the practice session for the Misano MotoGP, a result he attributes to his own errors. Due to this performance, Fernandez will need to compete in Q1 tomorrow for qualifying, while both other Aprilia riders secured spots within the top ten.
Fernandez acknowledged that his standing was below both his and the Trackhouse Aprilia team’s expectations and accepted full responsibility for the outcome. He explained that although he was consistently in the top six or seven throughout practice, mistakes in his last laps prevented him from improving his time. Additionally, he felt that the changes made to the bike setup between FP1 and practice did not complement his riding style.
He pointed out that the challenge lies more with his riding than with the bike itself, particularly citing issues with his cornering lines in some sections. Fernandez plans to study data from his teammate Marco Bezzecchi to adjust his lines for tomorrow’s session in hopes of finding a better solution.
While Misano features a famous high-speed turn 11 and a sequence of tight right-handers, Fernandez’s difficulties were mainly in the slower corners at the start of the circuit. He admitted that the first sector, especially the opening corner, is where he isn’t taking the optimal line, which affects his performance all the way through to the back straight. Conversely, he feels confident in the faster parts of the track, such as sector three, but his real struggle remains in sectors one and two due to his corner approach.
Fernandez stressed the need to remain calm and patient, trusting that once he regains composure, his performance will improve. He is optimistic that tomorrow’s qualifying will go more smoothly than today’s practice.
Fan Take: This update is crucial for racing enthusiasts as it highlights how even top riders like Fernandez face setbacks and the fine margins that affect qualifying in MotoGP. It also underscores the importance of rider adaptability and teamwork in overcoming challenges, which keeps the competition thrilling and unpredictable.
Source: www.crash.net
