Augusto Fernandez Joins Yamaha as Test Rider – “Multiple Wildcards”
Former Moto2 Champion Augusto Fernandez transitions to Yamaha's test team for 2025, taking on wildcards and aiming for a MotoGP comeback.
The 2024 MotoGP season was undeniably a very frustrating one for Fabio Quartararo. However, despite his 13th place in the standings being his worst-ever season result, the Frenchman thinks it’s his best MotoGP season in terms of the way he worked throughout the year.
He summed up his feelings: “In terms of my riding style and working with the team, it was the best season. In terms of results, it was clearly the worst. I have learnt to stay calm and try to improve the bike as much as possible. Things have been much better since Misano 2. You can also see that in the results.”
“It’s not fantastic, but at least it’s getting better step by step. Since Misano 1 we have missed Q2 once. So there is progress and I think next year they will happen faster.“
He also highlighted Yamaha’s evolving approach to development, which he believes is slowly starting to pay off. “The way for us to improve the bike, the way to work has been improved during this year. It’s not easy for Yamaha to change totally the mentality. So it really took a lot of time.”
The introduction of new personnel, a growing test team, and a more structured development approach appear to have set the groundwork for better results. Quartararo pointed to Augusto Fernandez’s involvement in the Yamaha box during MotoGP post-season test as another sign of the factory’s commitment to change.
Reflecting on the Barcelona test itself, Quartararo sounded cautiously optimistic, noting that he feels “a bit faster” and closer to the top riders, though he admitted it’s hard to draw concrete conclusions from just a single test session.
“I’m enjoying the bike. I start to really enjoy the bike because I can push the limits. But we have a clear goal to come back [to the top], and whatever we can do to be back as soon as possible, we will do it.”
Yamaha’s priorities for the upcoming season should be clear according to the Frenchman: “Power and grip is the only thing I can really ask at the beginning.”
Quartararo acknowledged some progress had been made, jokingly attributing an early gift of extra power to Santa Claus but making it clear that more improvements are necessary for 2025: “I will ask for even more because we know that we will miss it [next year].”
![Pramac Racing Starts All-New Yamaha Era – “Great Bike [But] We Need Time”](https://mgp1official.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/54150622967_61f8bbd3db_o-300x200.jpg)
