RNF: Raul Fernandez has a ‘2 + 2’ Aprilia contract

RNF team boss Razlan Razali insists that Raul Fernandez's MotoGP seat is not only safe for 2024, but that Aprilia then has a further two-year option on the services of the young Spaniard.

Peter McLaren

10 Aug 2023

Raul Fernandez, MotoGP sprint race, British MotoGP, 5 August

After fighting team-mate Remy Gardner for the crown in his rookie Moto2 season, Fernandez was fast-tracked to MotoGP by KTM for 2022.

Fernandez rarely looked comfortable on the RC16, finishing only 22nd in the standings, but was snapped up by Aprilia for its new satellite RNF project.

However, the 22-year-old was yet to beat his KTM best of twelfth place prior to Silverstone, prompting some summer-break rumours that his seat might be in doubt.

“We had a meeting with Aprilia last week, about this season and next season,” team boss Razlan Razali told the RNF Unlocked Podcast on the eve of the British MotoGP weekend.

“No doubt, [Raul] probably hears stories about people coming to approach us and, yes, there’s been a number of riders who came to talk to us.

“So number one, we confirmed at the meeting with Aprilia that [Raul] needs more time. So he shouldn’t worry.

“That is something that we have communicated to Raul as well: ‘Don’t worry, because you have a contract with Aprilia for at least two years, with an option for another two years’.

“So that should not distract him, just focus on the job and don’t pressure himself."

“Raul is only in his second year,” Razali added. “He had a terrible first year with KTM. In theory with a young rider you need a minimum of two years [in the same team] to give them a chance. To just get rid of them after one year is not correct."

“Okay, it happened to us with Darryn [Binder], but that was an exceptional circumstance because he had signed with Yamaha and we then switched to Aprilia.”

“Raul’s very ambitious,” added team manager Wilco Zeelenberg. “He has the speed but he needs the whole package, to also stay calm if you are not in the position you want to be in. See what the others are doing and not make mistakes.”

Perhaps buoyed by the assurances over his future, Fernandez went on to claim his best MotoGP finish to date with tenth place in the British MotoGP, when team-mate Miguel Oliveira also gave RNF its highest RS-GP result with fourth.