Raul Fernandez is one of the hopes of the paddock who is closely followed by manufacturers and managers, which gives him a good rating. After the Qatar Grand Prix, which launched the 2022 season, we will be able to check its solidity because the KTM protégé placed with Tech3 has never taken off from the bottom of the ranking, whether during qualifying or in the race. Penultimate on the grid, he finished last in the competition near Doha. So nothing to brag about. The Spaniard analyzes this discreet start to his career in MotoGP…
Raul fernandez finished 18th and last in the Qatar Grand Prix from where he started penultimate, 42 seconds behind the winner Enea Bastianini after 22 laps. A chasm that fits poorly with the image of a great hope for the discipline, but today's MotoGP forgives nothing if you are not ready. However, at Losail, there is not a rookie who did not suffer when discovering a Losail track which once offered days of off-season testing. This year, we had to go without preliminaries. And this was felt among the beginners: “ in the race, all the rookies fought in the same group. This is a sign that this trail is very difficult for beginners if you haven't tried here before » pointed out the Spaniard while taking stock of his weekend.
« I think our weekend work was good, although my overall feeling wasn't the best » adds the pilot 21 years. “ For the future I need to gain more experience on the bike, but now I am much calmer for the next races ". He also mentions: “ during the race, I had contact with Rémy Gardner, which set me back a bit. But I was able to catch up with the group quickly ».
Raul Fernandez is not discouraged: he wants to be on the podium
« We will analyze the data when we are calmer » further specifies the Moto2 world vice-champion of last season. “ My biggest learning was managing the tires for race duration. I have gained a lot of experience and it is important to me ". He ends by recognizing that it is up to him to make the necessary progress, since Brad Binder, second in the Grand Prix, showed that the KTM RC16 was a competitive bike: “ Brad Binder getting on the podium is really important to me because it means the bike can perform and we have a benchmark to follow to get closer to it as quickly as possible ».
Raul fernandez does not hide his ambition: “ Brad made a podium, he did it, I want to be there as soon as possible ". For Mandalika, as part of an Indonesian Grand Prix expected on March 20, it may be a little early, but at the very least, the reunion with Lombok will be an opportunity to exorcise the bad feelings born of a heavy fall which caused a concussion and impaired vision, forcing him to throw in the towel the next day.
MotoGP Qatar J3: ranking
Credit classification motogp.com
