Raul Fernandez highlighted tyre life as a critical weakness during the Thailand MotoGP race, a factor that influenced his final position behind rivals Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta. Despite a strong start and an early move up to second place past Marc Marquez, Fernandez’s performance declined in the closing laps, leading to a third-place finish.
Fernandez explained that his attempts to conserve his tyres from the beginning of the race were not sufficient to match the endurance of Bezzecchi and Acosta, who managed their rear tyres more effectively. This issue became apparent during the final stages when Fernandez experienced wheel spin on the straights.
Race Performance and Tyre Management Issues
At the post-race press conference, Fernandez reflected on his efforts and the challenges he encountered.
“Today for me was a really nice race,”
he said.
“I tried all I had. A small deja vu from Valencia when I was second and Marco [Bezzecchi] was first. I tried to close the gap with Marco, but also I tried to save well the tyre because yesterday we saw that we had a quite high consumption of the rear tyre, especially, on the straight.”
He added,
“I tried until the end. The thing is that for some reason both of them [Bezzecchi and Acosta] managed better the rear tyre than me; in the last three, four laps I had a lot of spin on the straight.”
Acosta Shares His View on Tyre Improvement
Citing improved tyre performance, Pedro Acosta remarked that KTM’s progress has enhanced tyre life compared to the previous season. He also mentioned personal growth that has helped his race-level consistency and calmness under pressure.
Acosta stated,
“I feel good with the bike, I think we started well the season,”
and further explained,
“Now I think I am a better rider because in the difficult moments I feel very calm in the box and it’s true that everybody worked better.”
Moreover, he noted,
“We tried, we didn’t get this second place because I think Marco today was in another level, but Pedro [Acosta] also saved better than us. We have to learn for the future.”
Fernandez’s Season Goals Amidst Strong Competition
Although Fernandez has been consistently on the podium late in last season and opened this year with two podium finishes, earning third place in the championship standings just nine points shy of the leader, he remains cautious about his title chances. He aims for steady top-eight finishes as a realistic measure of success.
Fernandez shared,
“We don’t really think that we are a title contender,”
clarifying his expectations.
“So, it means that our goals have to be on top-eight during all the year: in the difficult races we have to be there. If we have the possibility [of more], of course I will try.”
Team Progress and Future Prospects
Fernandez praised the improvements within his team, attributing much of their current positive atmosphere and performance to the leadership of Davide Brivio. Compared to two years ago, the team now operates with greater harmony and motivation.
He remarked,
“I think Davide [Brivio] made a super-good crew in the team because if you see two years ago the team, it was quite difficult to see the people happy, and now everybody is happy, everybody works in the same way.”
Looking ahead, Fernandez acknowledged the challenge posed by Ducati riders and fellow KTM competitors but expressed optimism about his progress with the bike.
“We know that still Ducati has a great rider, Marco and Pedro also are great riders, and we are arriving at our best level. Still I don’t have everything under control with this bike, but we are on our way to get what I want on the bike.”
