P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Fernandez ends “mentally tough” rookie year assured of “level” to be in MotoGP
Augusto Fernandez, the reigning Moto2 champion, joined the KTM-backed Tech3 squad in MotoGP alongside Pol Espargaro. Despite a challenging debut season, Fernandez showed glimpses of speed and achieved his best result of fourth place at the French Grand Prix, finishing 17th in the standings. The absence of his experienced teammate Espargaro due to an injury hindered Fernandez’s growth throughout the season. There was speculation about his future in MotoGP, but KTM ultimately retained him for 2024. Fernandez reflected on his season, stating that learning how to be fast on a MotoGP bike has been mentally tough but expressed confidence in his abilities and looks forward to the improvements KTM can make with the bike for next year.
