Out goes Jonathan Rea, the king of Superbike records, injured and confined to the paddock. In comes Augusto Fernandez, former 2 Moto2022 champion and Yamaha MotoGP test rider, catapulted onto the Pata Maxus team's R1 for the Portimao test. Two sweaty days, a crash, and a final time of 1'41.362 – the 27-year-old Spaniard has arrived in Superbike, ready to replace Rea for the first European round in two weeks. And it wasn't a walk in the park!
Replacing the legendary Jonathan Rhea, multiple Superbike world champion, Augusto Fernandez took his first steps on the Yamaha R1 during Portimao trialsTwo intense days for the MotoGP test rider, who had to adapt quickly to a new world. Alongside Remy gardner, another former Moto2 world champion, Fernandez joins the Giansanti Racing team for the Portimao Superbike meeting, marking his return to the spotlight after two complicated years in MotoGP with KTM.
« For me, the test was an opportunity to discover the bike and the team ", entrusts Fernandez. " One of the biggest challenges is getting used to Pirelli tires. They are very different from what I am used to, but of course Superbike is also very different from MotoGP, so there is a lot to learnIt wasn't an easy two days, but we learned a lot and I can't wait to get back to racing.. »
Augusto Fernandez: “ I can't say I'm 100% ready »
With 42 laps completed on Friday, punctuated from a fall, and 34 laps on Saturday for a best time of 1'41.362, Fernandez showed encouraging signs of progress. We made good progress and improved the lap time in the last hour. Overall, I can say that I am satisfied with how everything went " he explains. However, he remains realistic: " Given the limited track time, I can't say I'm 100% ready. But we still have free practice sessions to continue improving. I hope we'll be competitive when the race starts. »
With unwavering determination and a thirst for learning, Augusto Fernandez is preparing to take on this new challenge by Superbike, ready to showcase his talent on the world stage.
