Raúl Fernández assessed the performance he had in the last season and looked ahead to the upcoming season where he will continue to have Miguel Oliveira as a teammate.
‘Few people know, I believe only those closest to me, what I really went through because of my arm,’ the rider began in statements to Motosan.es, referring to the difficulties he faced in the final phase of 2023 in Qatar, Thailand, Australia, and Malaysia.
‘In Thailand, in turn one and throughout the straight, I couldn’t catch my breath. So, I would get more tired because I would do the entire straight without being able to breathe. It was very frustrating,’ he recalled.
‘I consider myself a fighter. I consider that my sports career, at certain moments, was very tough and last year, unfortunately, was a very tough moment. I didn’t like finishing 15th in Thailand, but one result cannot question everything. I believe I am a professional and when it’s necessary to finish a race, I do it. I’m the first one who dies inside when things don’t go well, but at the end of the day, the data needs to be passed on to a factory,’ he said.
Despite it being a profession, Fernández emphasized that he sees MotoGP as more than just fulfilling a contract: ‘I love winning. I had a dream year in Moto2, I loved being there and being able to achieve podium finishes. All of this is energy, what gives us the energy to continue. I’m not here to just go around, I’m a professional, I fulfill my contract, but I love this and I want to do this. And for that, I need to do things well and enjoy it,’ highlighted the Trackhouse rider.
‘I don’t believe there is anyone who has. You can come with respect, but I believe that when you come with fear, it is time to end your career. Trackhouse has given me the desire to compete’, he concluded.
