Raúl Fernández: "Whenever Pedrosa gives me advice, I improve"

The final summary of the three days of testing for testers, rookies and riders from teams with concessions (shakedown) could not have ended better for the young Spanish KTM rookie, Raúl Fernández , riding the RC16 of the Tech3 team with which he will face his first season in the queen class.

The man from Madrid led the first day, improved his time on the second and finished with the third fastest time on the third day (1.59.468), only surpassed by the two Aprilia riders, Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaró .

“I am very happy with the balance of these three days. We did an incredible job, and day by day we improve. In general we have a good bike. I have spoken with Dani Pedrosa and I think I can improve a lot based on his advice”, explained the young Moto2 runner-up.

Fernández, whenever he has the opportunity, praises the work together with Pedrosa, a KTM test rider.

“Working with Dani is like a dream. When I was little, I remember that one day I went to Jerez and saw him win. I will never forget that day. When I have problems I turn to him, I listen to him a lot. And when he gives me advice, he always I’m getting better,” he valued.

An improvement that has been clear since the first day, which ended with a time of 2.00.898, dropping almost a second and a half to 1.59.468 this Wednesday, accumulating a total of 150 laps on the long, demanding and complicated Malaysian track. .

“The first day in Sepang I didn’t even know the lines. I was completely lost. When you don’t know the bike or the circuit it’s even worse,” he said.

Fernández does not want to give more importance to the fact of being the fastest rookie on the track.

“It’s something that’s fine because you have a reference, but the work is on our bike and in our team. The most important thing is to evolve with this bike so that one day we can win with it,” he said.

“The summary of the test is very positive because we have improved, it only cost me a little more on the second day (Tuesday), but when you are a rookie, the most important thing is to go to bed every day having learned something, and today I think we have given a big step forward in feeling comfortable and well riding the bike”.

Fernández suffered a fall on Tuesday, which is clear from an image that was seen on social networks, an unimportant incident.

“It was a rather silly crash, surely due to the high temperature, it was without any consequences and, fortunately, it was the only one we suffered during the three days”, explained Raúl, who did not follow any rider on the track. “I have not followed anyone, I have tried to go alone to test my things, I do not like to get behind anyone, I prefer to know what I do and do my things.”

On a physical level, the man from Madrid assured that he felt better than after the two days in Jerez in November and that he did not see a great change in intensity between the MotoGP and last year’s bike.

“Only those who experience a Moto2 race from the inside know the intensity that it entails, it is very difficult, a lot. They are completely different bikes and it is difficult to compare. In Moto2 you don’t have any (electronic) help, while in MotoGP you have many, they are You don’t see details that you can’t see. You also have a very big team behind you, taking care of all the details. MotoGP looks very beastly, but until you get to know it. I’ve changed my way of training, I’m at a very good physical level and now I’m in that process of getting to know the bike and getting used to it. I feel strong, the only problem is my hands, which always end up with huge blisters”, settled the boy from San Martín de la Vega with a laugh.

Raul Fernandez, KTM Tech3, Dani Pedrosa, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing