The Gran Premio de España was bookended by the first one-day test of the 2024 MotoGP season and Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 riders Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez took to the warm Jerez asphalt once more on Monday. Both racers worked further on their GASGAS RC16 set-up as well as trying new prototype parts for aerodynamics. Acosta finished the day 11th quickest while Augusto Fernandez managed the 22nd fastest lap from the full MotoGP field.
The team had a full slate of work for the session that began at 10am and concluded at 6pm. Weather conditions were good with sunshine but then the wind picked up later in the afternoon in southern Spain. The crew’s familiarity with the course meant that comparison and analysis for current and future parts was smooth and effective as Pedro and Augusto had their own priorities for development.
Acosta was able to try fresh aero parts and other modifications to suspension and the engine, totaling 75 laps throughout the day, to end his shift less than half a second from the top of the time sheets. Augusto delved deeper into his current race set-up to try and perfect a more versatile base configuration and increase his competitiveness for the Grands Prix (where track time is so limited). #37 circulated Jerez 65 times for the 22nd best lap. The test ended with a crash at Turn 7 but after a medical check Fernandez was cleared ‘OK’.
Augusto Fernandez:
“A hard day of testing, important for us. We worked on the setting of the bike and to improve our feeling and we worked on many things. Honestly, I want to be faster but I’m not unhappy. We discovered a lot. The way is closer and we are narrowing the target. I had a late crash and I’m sorry to the team for that but…it will come. I’m looking forward to Le Mans; it’s a track I like, and I hope we can have a good weekend.”
