MotoGP Indonesia J3, Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS/Ab): "it's a shame because I think we could have been in the top 10"

Augusto Fernandez had the means to come out of this Indonesian Grand Prix with the good result of a top 10 after a complicated start to the meeting in Mandalika, but the rookie who is now assured of his future in MotoGP for 2024 has unfortunately left to fault. The Spaniard was therefore unable to show that even starting from eighteenth place, all hope was not lost in MotoGP. He will be keen to forget this disappointment this weekend at Phillip Island where the Australian Grand Prix will take place.

The weekend was rather difficult for Augusto Fernandez at the Mandalika International Circuit, but with work and perseverance, he first managed to bring his team to 13th place during the Sprint of Saturday. Not bad after starting from eighteenth position on the grid, and there were therefore logically hopes for the next day's race since the rookie has proven since the start of the year that he is gradually becoming a Sunday man.

The day once again promised to be physically demanding, with already thirty-three degrees in the air and fifty-three on the ground at 10:40 a.m. local time for... The warm-up! Augusto Fernandez set his best time of 1'31.746 in the morning and finished fourteenth, with once again almost all drivers combined within less than a second on the timesheet. While he once again lined up from 18th on the grid, he maintained his starting position for the first lap, then moved to 16th behind Raul Fernandez the next round, with alex rins et Johann zarco in his wheel.

**« Augusto Fernandez followed Enea Bastianini who was driving fast »**

He made a small mistake on lap 4 at turn 10, going wide, which saw him return to his starting position behind Enea Bastianini. All the riders were very competitive and he rode at a similar pace to the factory number 23 Ducati. On lap 10, he set his best lap of the race in 1'31.436, which was faster than Bastianini, zarco et Fernandez (RNF), but unfortunately, he fell in his efforts as he tried to catch up to be able to overtake them. It's a disappointing result for the rookie who was riding at a pace similar to that of the podiums at the time of his fall.

« Difficult weekend for us overall " commented Augusto Fernandez. " At the start of the race I made a mistake in turn 10 and went wide, but then I got my rhythm back, I felt pretty good about the way I was driving. Unfortunately, I lost the front and I fell, which is a real shame because I think we could have been in the top 10 ". Then he concludes: “ we take something positive from our weekend because the pace was still there in the race, so I can't wait to try again next week in Australia ».

His team manager Nicolas Goyon added : " Augusto Fernandez had a difficult tire choice to make before the race, and I think he made the right one because he was riding at a decent pace. He made a small mistake at the start, but then he followed Enea Bastianini who was going fast. We expected him to be in the top 10, but he lost the front and crashed, which is a real shame. We are disappointed, because his pace was still very competitive, but we have to finish the races to score points ».