FERNANDEZ HOPES TYRE CHANGE WILL RESTORE HIS APRILIA FORM IN MOTEGI

Raul Fernandez heads to Motegi looking to recover the form that made him one of MotoGP’s standout riders earlier in the season. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider finished on the podium in the Netherlands, Germany and Britain, taking his first victory at Silverstone. At that point, he was ahead of Pedro Acosta in the championship and close behind Fabio Di Giannantonio. Fernandez has since slipped to seventh overall, while his recent results have lagged behind those of his Aprilia teammates.

The downturn was especially clear in Austria. Fernandez failed to make it through to Q2 and finished the Grand Prix 12th, behind KTM’s Enea Bastianini. Meanwhile, returning teammate Ai Ogura scored two fourth places after missing two events with a broken thumb. Fernandez has collected just 14 points across the last three Grands Prix.

He said the Austrian weekend had been frustrating, with the team spending the event trying to understand his difficulties at the stop-and-go circuit. The main problem, he explained, was making effective use of the rear tyre: “I wasn’t able to use the rear tyre perfectly and always felt I couldn’t accelerate properly.” Motegi brings different tyre options, and Fernandez hopes they will help restore his usual feeling on the bike.

He expects a tough challenge from Acosta, who has been quick in recent races. “Acosta and KTM weren’t strong only in Thailand and Austria — Pedro was also up front in the races before Spielberg,” Fernandez said. “He’s super strong, especially on the brakes, so he’ll be there in Japan too.”

The recent results have underlined how unpredictable the search for the right setup can be. Ducati, long dominant at Spielberg, missed the podium in Austria, while Acosta set the pace. For Fernandez, the immediate priority in Motegi is to avoid being dropped by the other Aprilia riders and regain competitiveness.

Last year’s Motegi results offer only limited guidance: Fernandez was eighth in the sprint, just ahead of Ogura, and seventh in the Grand Prix. Both Jorge Martin and Ogura were absent from that race through injury. Fernandez will be hoping the different tyre characteristics in Japan help him rediscover the form that carried him to the Silverstone win.