Augusto Fernandez recently expressed his satisfaction with his current role at Yamaha, emphasizing that he has no plans to return full-time to MotoGP in 2026. After losing his seat at KTM at the end of 2024, the Spaniard saw his new role at Yamaha as an opportunity to quickly return to the premier class. However, with the majority of seats already filled for the upcoming season, Fernandez acknowledges that he is not among the contenders to be Toprak Razgatlioglu's teammate at Pramac.
Despite this change of direction, Fernandez seems not only satisfied with his current role, but also very involved in the development of the brand. It's not for 2026. I'm happy here, honestly." , said Fernandez. " It's better than expected as a test pilot. I am happy to be part of the V4 project, which is very importantI'm enjoying the process and my work, and I'm focused on getting Yamaha back to the top. It's an honor to be a part of it."
Fernandez not only has the mission of testing the current M1 but also of participating in the development of the brand new prototype Yamaha V4, which could well mark a turning point in 2027 with the introduction of 850cc engines. In addition, he replaces injured riders and participates in wild-card entries, giving his role as test rider a much greater responsibility than that of other current test riders.
Augusto Fernandez: “ The M1 has improved, not much, but we have made some progress compared to last year. »
Although Yamaha has made progress this season, notably with the performance of fabio quartararo which ended the team's podium drought and secured four pole positions, Fernandez remains realistic about the challenges to be overcome. I think since the start of the season the M1 has improved, not much, but we have made some progress compared to last year." he commented on crash.netThe test driver highlights the positives, such as the good qualifying performance, but persistent grip difficulties and overtaking problems continue to pose obstacles in the race.
Nevertheless, Fernandez remains optimistic about the future and sees avenues for improvement: “ We can enjoy the good things, like in qualifying, where Fabio did a good job. And we know the adhesion problem, so we focused on solving it"
Augusto Fernandez could also make history if Yamaha's new V4 machine made his racing debut before the end of the year. Although Yamaha specified that the V4 would only be used in competition in the final year of the 1cc engines if it was more competitive than the current M000, Fernandez hopes to be involved in its debut: " we'll see if we can make a joker out of this" he added, expressing his enthusiasm at the idea of testing this revolutionary machine.
In a role where he plays a key role in the future development of Yamaha, Fernandez seems more determined than ever to contribute to the growth of the brand, while continuing to be involved in exciting projects for the future of MotoGP.
