Augusto Fernandez Eyes New Horizon with Yamaha Test Team Role Amidst MotoGP Career Evolution

Augusto Fernandez could extend his MotoGP journey, albeit not as a competitor

Augusto Fernandez, who clinched the Moto2 World Championship in 2022 and currently races for GasGas Tech3, is poised to potentially enter the Yamaha MotoGP lineup in 2025.

Should Fernandez make a move to Yamaha, as indicated by Motorsport.com, his role would be within the brand's official MotoGP testing squad, instead of serving as a member of its newly established Pramac satellite team.

Previously, if Fernandez were to take this step, it would have implied Yamaha bringing in a new rider to take Cal Crutchlow's place. However, the trend in MotoGP test teams has shifted towards employing several riders simultaneously. This change was initiated by KTM, which now has a trio of test riders: Dani Pedrosa, Pol Espargaro, and Jonas Folger.

For Yamaha, this would imply Fernandez teaming up with the previously mentioned Crutchlow, who has largely been sidelined this year due to a wrist injury, followed by issues in recuperating from the surgical procedure aimed at fixing the initial injury.

In 2025, Honda is set to enlarge its MotoGP testing team to include two riders, with Aleix Espargaro from Aprilia teaming up with Stefan Bradl in the HRC arrangement.

At 26 years of age, and not reaching 27 until the latter part of September, Fernandez doesn't readily fit the typical profile of a test rider. Having secured a World Championship title just a couple of years earlier, the rider from Spain is presumably entering the prime of his athletic ability. This contrasts with racers such as Crutchlow and Pedrosa, who continued competing into their thirties before hanging up their racing leathers for test riding duties.

Nonetheless, Massimo Meregalli, the Sporting Director at Yamaha, conveyed to Motorsport.com that Fernandez embodies the kind of rider they are in search of.

"Our aim is to enhance our testing squad by bringing on board a rider, yet we're not considering someone experienced or retired. Rather, we're looking for a younger individual eager to undertake numerous laps, maximizing the training opportunities our allowances provide," he mentioned. Additionally, he affirmed that Crutchlow will continue his role within the test team.

In a conversation with Crash.net on the Thursday prior to the British Grand Prix the previous weekend, Fernandez expressed, "It's challenging, but my goal is to capitalize on every chance I get here in MotoGP."

Fernandez is contemplating a move to WorldSBK, noting, "It offers a career path where individuals find joy and pleasure in racing, which aligns with our goals as well. […] Should an appealing opportunity with a competitive motorcycle in Superbike arise, I'm inclined to seize it."

This year in the WorldSBK championship, the winners' circle has been quite exclusive, with victories only achieved by riders from BMW, Ducati, and Kawasaki. BMW's sole win came courtesy of Toprak Razgatlioglu, while Ducati's victories were claimed by its official team members, Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista, in addition to Nicholas Spinelli who stepped in for Danilo Petrucci at Assen. Kawasaki's triumphs were limited to Alex Lowes' performance at Phillip Island. This scenario underscores the scarcity of competitive Superbikes, a situation highlighted by BMW's early decision to retain Razgatlioglu and Michael van der Mark for its factory team next season.

Therefore, the opportunity to test for Yamaha catches Fernandez's interest, as he revealed to Motorsport.com that he is in discussions with Yamaha about the position should no opportunities arise in either MotoGP or SBK.

In addition to maintaining his presence in the MotoGP paddock, engaging in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, and contributing to a factory team, the testing position would provide Fernandez with the chance to participate in several wildcard entries (potentially up to six, contingent on Crutchlow's health and readiness to compete), along with the possibility of substituting for any of the four Yamaha racers (across both the factory and Pramac squads) in the event of an injury, similar to the situation where Remy Gardner stepped in for Alex Rins following his mishap in Germany.

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