P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Raul Fernandez is aiming to put a ‘tough’ opening day at the Indonesian MotoGP behind him and get closer to both factory Aprilia riders as a result.
In the second practice session, Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales both set new lap records, securing a 1-2 finish for Aprilia. However, Fernandez struggled and could only manage 14th place, which means he will have to go through Q1 on Saturday. Despite this, Fernandez believes he has the ability to match Espargaro and Vinales. He mentioned that he didn’t feel good on the bike since Barcelona and couldn’t ride as he wanted. The main issue was the different tyre compound with very hard front tyres, which made it difficult to find the right setup. Fernandez expressed his confidence in the bike’s potential and his aim to be close to the factory Aprilias. One challenge at the Mandalika circuit is the lack of clean track, with only 2 to 2.5 meters available, making it easy to make mistakes if riders go wide.
Source: Crash
