The only rider to debut in MotoGP in 2023 was Augusto Fernández. Therefore, naturally, the young GasGas Tech3 rider achieved the rookie of the year title. He did so by “showing his worth” and even came close to the podium. He finished in 17th place in the championship.
Right in the first GP, the Spaniard was left without the guidance of the experienced Pol Espargaró for several months – after Pol Espargaró suffered a serious injury. However, Fernández did not stop following his path of adaptation and had a very consistent first half of the season where he always scored points – a record that only Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) also achieved.
The highlight in terms of sports was, without a doubt, the fourth place in the French GP. The pilot commented after the race: ‘We fell in the Sprint race and in the warm-up I had another fall, so it wasn’t easy, I lost some confidence. I took a risk with the front tire, since in the Sprint race it was a mistake to go with the medium. […]. I preferred the feeling with the soft tire, I made a bet, had good feelings again, had a good start and then reached the group in the race. […]. I am starting to get better sensations with this bike‘. The first time Fernández scored zero points was in the San Marino GP, which marked the beginning of a more complicated final phase of the season: in the last nine rounds, he only managed three top 15 results and abandoned four main races. But it was also in this phase that he achieved his second best result of the year, finishing seventh in the tough Japanese GP. Throughout the year, #37 also faced rumors about his future, uncertain if he would continue in MotoGP – facing the possibility of being replaced by Pedro Acosta. ‘It was tough, mentally, and learning how to be fast on a MotoGP bike was not an easy task. But I end the season confident that I have the level to be there. I have the speed, I learned how to be fast with this thing. And I am confident that next year will also be a strong year,’ Fernández said at the end of the season.The potential of the pilot was evident throughout 2023, with a constant evolution despite a more inconsistent end in terms of results. Qualifying and the Sprint race were aspects in which Fernández was more “dimmed” throughout 2023. In his second season, he will be the most experienced within GasGas Tech3 alongside rookie Acosta, being another test when KTM always has riders “knocking on the door” and few places in the premier class.
Augusto Fernández’s 2023 season:
Portuguese GP: Abandonment in Sprint/13th GP – 15th in the championship
Argentinian GP: 16th Sprint/11th GP – 14th in the championship
Americas GP: 16th Sprint/10th GP – 15th in the championship
Spanish GP: 17th Sprint/13th GP – 16th in the championship
French GP: Abandonment in Sprint/4th in GP – 14th in the championship
Italian GP: 20th Sprint/15th GP – 14th in the championship
German GP: 14th Sprint/11th GP – 14th in the championship
Dutch GP: 14th Sprint/10th GP – 14th in the championship
British GP: 8th Sprint/11th GP – 13th in the championship
Austrian GP: 17th Sprint/14th GP – 13th in the championship
Catalan GP: 17th Sprint/9th GP – 13th in the championship
San Marino GP: 19th Sprint/16th GP – 14th in the championship
Indian GP: 11th Sprint/Abandonment in GP – 14th in the championship
Japanese GP: 12th Sprint/7th GP – 14th in the championship
Indonesian GP: 13th Sprint/Abandonment in GP – 15th in the championship
Australian GP: Abandonment in GP (no Sprint) – 15th in the championship
Thai GP: Abandonment in Sprint/17th GP – 16th in the championship
Malaysian GP: 14th Sprint/14th GP – 17th in the championship
Qatari GP: 10th Sprint/15th GP – 17th in the championship
Valencia GP: 9th Sprint/Abandonment in GP – 17th in the championship
