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Raul Fernandez's weekend was one to remember, as he left Barcelona with one of his best race results on the Trackhouse team's Aprilia. The Spanish rider - who had an excellent qualifying session, starting third from the front row at the start - struggled steadily in the top 5 of the race, giving in only to a certain Marc Marquez at lap 18, and to Di Giannantonio's GP23 at the last lap, therefore, finishing 6th at the finish line. A result that put a smile on the face of the young Aprilia satellite team rider, who realized what his own potential is, while he waits for the factory bike from Noale, which will probably arrive at the end of the summer break. Raul is the only one who still doesn't have one among the four.
"We definitely did a very good job," Raul Fernandez stated, "even if, during the race, the sensations on the rear tire weren't the best. This morning, the medium had given me a very good impression but, in the race, I had some difficulties with the grip, especially on the left side. The worst thing was that I didn't feel the rear. I did a good job overall. My pace was faster than I expected but, if I have to give an opinion, considering also Saturday, it was a really positive weekend. Yesterday, we fought in the sprint and, today, we fought in the top five in the race despite the tire problem, so I'm happy."
Now it's just a matter of qualifying.
"In my case, yes. If you start in the first two rows, you almost have half the race already done. In the last five or six laps, I didn't have to do anything. I was just there with the group. I was focused on doing my laps well, without having to think about overtaking."
You fell yesterday in the Sprint, but did your good pace give you extra confidence for today's race?
"I think the biggest change this weekend was on the electronics. I feel that Aprilia is helping me find my natural riding style and, when I was there with everyone, I saw that I could be there. Aprilia is helping me, and now everyone has seen that we're working in the right direction."
What are your expectations now for Mugello? Did the low grip in Barcelona help?
"I'm not thinking much about the result at Mugello. Now, the goal is to arrive more prepared in the first free practice sessions, beause we had some problems there. I'm curious to see where this direction taken with the electronics will take me at Mugello. I don't want to think about repeating this weekend's result, because I know it's going to be difficult," the Spanish rider admitted. "But I'll definitely try."
