We didn't expect such form from Raúl Fernández in Japan; he is one of the rare ones who maintains good momentum after the special episode in India. The RNF rider, seen as a nugget since his emergence in Moto2 during the 2021 season, is getting better and better aboard the RC16, and even ahead of Miguel Oliveira, who is going through a bad patch! Wow. For the greater good of the team, Razlan Razali can now count on two reliable drivers who strangely cannot perform at the same time. Today, Raúl Fernández moved into Q2, and entered the top 10 of the Sprint.
Injured or at least hampered at the start of the season, he is the one who has come a long way, but always under the radar. For two races, Raúl Fernández has shown good progress. He delivered himself on the evening of this second day in Motegi: « I felt I had the potential to get to Q2 yesterday and I managed to do it today. In fact, this morning I was very fast and confident and I was happy about it. But in the Sprint race I didn't have good grip and that's something we need to analyze to find out why we weren't faster than in the morning session. We need to understand this because tomorrow's race will be longer. Honestly, the gap with the first Aprilia is not too big, I always wanted to give them good data and I'm happy to be able to do it now. Tomorrow, if everything goes well, I think I can have a very good race. » To be watched, especially if Aprilia officials struggle again.
Today didn't go as what we wanted, but moments like these fuel our champion spirit to be better!
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— RNF MotoGP Team (@rnfracingteam) September 30, 2023
For Miguel Oliveira, the situation is less funny. Noted during each of his appearances in the first part of the season, the Portuguese has been floundering since India, where he has never found any rhythm. Unfortunately, the problems continue on the Japanese archipelago: « Honestly, I was disappointed today. I had a little more pace, but I found myself behind Raul, Augusto Fernandez and Franco Morbidelli, which required a bit of imagination to try to overtake Franco. It was not easy. I finally managed to do it, but it reduced my pace. But overall it was good preparation for tomorrow. We know for sure what we need to improve on the bike in terms of corner exit stability to avoid over-steering. IWe must also try to get a better start, this is the main objective for the main race." From 16th place on the grid, I'm not sure it's really any simpler.
Have you noticed this dynamic? Tell us in the comments!
2023 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix Sprint Result:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
