Augusto Fernandez to LCR, Pedro Acosta to GASGAS rumoured

In a bid to promote Pedro Acosta to MotoGP, KTM could be willing to offload Augusto Fernandez, according to a report.

26 Jul 2023

Augusto Fernandez, KTM MotoGP Assen 2023

For much of the 2023 MotoGP season, Acosta has appeared destined for a move to MotoGP, which has all-but been confirmed.

However, it remains to be seen where the Spaniard will go as KTM full factory line-up of Jack Miller and Brad Binder is not going anywhere, while Pol Espargaro is also on a two-year deal that expires at the end of 2024.

That leaves the second GASGAS seat of Fernandez, who although is on a one-year deal and could easily be moved on to accommodate the young Spaniard, the Austrian manufacturer has been clear about their intentions of keeping Fernandez as well.

KTM tried to begin negotiations with Lucio Cecchinello as part of plan to acquire the two Honda seats and make them KTM bikes for next season, which would have given them the possibility to add Acosta without moving on from Fernandez.

But Cecchinello dismissed the idea and confirmed his team would be remaining alongside Honda, which is why speculation of Fernandez being offloaded to them should they lose Alex Rins has surfaced during a report from Gazzetta.

"Despite denying the possibility of a change of bike supplier, Cecchinello could still help KTM solve the Acosta 'problem': because if the orange team fails to create a third team, [Pit] Beirer could [come to] an agreement with Lucio to 'park' Fernandez for 2024 in his team alongside Nakagami (thus closing the road to Morbidelli), thus deploying Acosta on GasGas as Pol Espargaro's partner," stated Gazzetta.

"Provided that the latter, who will be back in the race at Silverstone after the terrible accident on Friday in Portugal, doesn't realize that he is no longer able to compete at the top level with a MotoGP bike and decides to stop, which would solve every problem."