Portugal witnessed an unforgettable Grand Prix over the weekend. From the first-ever Tissot Sprint, to on track controversy and Portimao perfection from Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), we were certainly left with no shortage of headlines and talking points.
One story that flew under the radar a little is that of Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), who dealt with a challenging MotoGP™ debut admirably. Transitioning to the premier class is never easy, and even less so when the Championship undergoes a new format while teammate Pol Espargaro’s injury meant he flew the GASGAS Tech3 flag on his own.
In fact, the Spaniard couldn’t have wished for a worse start to life in MotoGP™, as he failed to complete a single lap in the Tissot Sprint on Saturday, meaning he would have to wait until Sunday to experience some competitive laps. However, he managed to bounce back in impressive fashion and battled his way to a P13 finish, earning three points to open up his World Championship account.
"I'm happy. Good to finally get the experience from a race because we couldn't do the Sprint on Saturday. I was slow at the beginning but I knew I'd have the pace at the end of the race and I think my last part was good. We have to be happy with that, my pace was strong. We just need to take in the experience from this first part of the year and keep improving," said Fernandez, before acknowledging the differences between classes
"It's very different. I've had to change my riding style and how you trust the tyres is different too. It needs time. Step by step I'm learning how to use them and how to manage them in the race. To be honest, I'm happy with my management of the tyres and how I managed the drop because I felt better at the end than I did at the beginning."
Fernandez’ next learning experience isn’t far away, with the Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina up next this weekend. Make sure you stay tuned to motogp.com for all the latest updates and breaking news.