The conditions of this Thai Grand Prix spared no one, including Raúl Fernández. Strangely, Aprilia riders were most affected by the South Asian heat and humidity. The nightmare was very real for Raúl, who did not escape the discomfort on his RS-GP. There is no doubt that this stage of the 2023 world championship will open new debates regarding the position of the overseas tour in the calendar, given the declarations following India, and now, Thailand.
« I had feverish chills. I couldn't breathe in the last laps, it was impossible for me to drive » he confided to GP One at the end of this decisive round. He was not the only one in this situation. As part of the factory team, Aleix Espargaro testified that he had " almost died ". This did not prevent the young Spaniard from taking the point of 15th place.
Plus 1 point 🏍️#rnfmotogpteam | #CryptoDATA | #DiscoverPrivacy | #greenpowergenerators | #MotoGP | #ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/ld5WMnrkCt
— RNF MotoGP Team (@rnfracingteam) October 29, 2023
However, it's a shame, because this overseas tour smiles on the one who was announced as a prodigy. « I was having my best race in MotoGP. I felt like I could see the podium places ahead, but it was like I had a fan blowing at 50°C in front of me. Suddenly, I started to slow down; It was either that or I gave up. » he added. Conditions that are more than alarming. Here, in Thailand, the simple characteristics of the route mean that the differences are very small, and the aspiration phenomenon is very significant. As a result, pilots find little fresh air ahead of them.
In two weeks we head to Sepang for one of the toughest races of the year. What to worry about for the RNF pilot: “It will be very difficult there. As soon as you follow someone, the motorcycle becomes incandescent » he concluded.
Do you think we'll see more heat-related abandonments in Malaysia? Tell us in the comments!
MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix 2023 result:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
