Satellite Team Criticism! - Fernandez: "Aprilia Is Letting Us Down"
Categories: MotoGP
Published: 14th November 2023
Raul Fernandez finds harsh words as he targets Aprilia’s satellite team attitude. He feels “let down” by the Italians.
Rául Fernández faced a challenging situation after completing 20 laps in Sepang, with his frustration evident not only in his words.
Expressing bewilderment, he stated, “I can’t explain it at all. In our current circumstances, we need more laps and extensive mileage. And then something like this happens.”
His premature exit in the 7th lap, attributed to an as-yet-undetermined technical glitch, left the 2021 Moto2 Vice World Champion in a state of desperation.
Adding to the woes for Razlan Razali’s team at their home Grand Prix, Fernández’s teammate Miguel Oliveira had already suffered a crash in turn 9 a lap earlier.
In a vehement critique aimed at the Aprilia factory in Noale, Fernández accused, “Aprilia is letting us down. We receive no support and absolutely no technical updates.”
The only new parts on our bikes are the fresh tires each time.” Emphasizing a contrasting strategy, the Moto2 Vice World Champion of 2021 highlighted, “Ducati tries to help all eight riders as best as possible. If you want to race, you should commit to it consistently and get the maximum out of it.”
“Fernández speculated that the insufficient development of the four Aprilia bikes might be due to a lack of comprehensive data.”
“Complicating matters further, the RNF customer team operates solely with last year’s RS-GP-22 material.”
Not the team's fault
Despite the challenging circumstances, Fernández refrained from blaming his crew, stating, “I’m touched by how hard my guys work.”
“If we don’t have time to eat properly, they keep working hard on our bikes. If we have work to do early in the morning, they’re right there. I really feel sorry for them.”
Amidst the struggles, a glimmer of positivity emerged for Raúl. Despite being in 20th place in the championship during his second MotoGP season, he had hoped for podium finishes in the latter part of the season.
The silver lining came in the form of his younger brother, Adrián, securing a remarkable fifth place in the Moto3 World Championship race with Leopard Honda, marking his best World Championship result to date.
