Two wild cards for the Spanish GP: Yamaha fields Augusto Fernandez, Aprilia Lorenzo Savadori

‘New’ faces and injured riders

MotoGP will return to the track this weekend at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, home of the Spanish Grand Prix. An event, the first on this European calendar, which will however be complex for KTM, particularly for the Tech3 team, which will arrive in Andalusia with only Enea Bastianini due to the injuries of Maverick Viñales and Pol Espargarò. Other teams, however, have decided to field an extra bike for this race: Yamaha and Aprilia.

Read more Patrese sees Verstappen as the King of the market: “Even Ferrari would find him a place”

The wild cards

For the first time in this championship, both teams have decided to rely on their test riders, who will help collect as much data as possible during the tests scheduled for next week, also in Jerez. Yamaha has announced the return of Augusto Fernandez, Moto2 world champion in 2022. For the Spaniard, this will be his return after the Valencia Grand Prix, the last race of the previous world championship, in which he obtained a total of 8 points in eight races.

Read more Hundreds of millions unpaid to the tax authorities during the GPs in Italy: the Fiamme Gialle investigate foreign teams

The Noale manufacturer, on the other hand, has chosen Lorenzo Savadori, who became an Aprilia test rider in 2021, one year after winning the Superbike world title. For the 33-year-old, this will be an opportunity to return to the track after a 2025 that saw him participate in fourteen GPs as a replacement for the injured Jorge Martin. A season in which he achieved a 9th place as his best career result in the premier class at the French GP.

Read more Weber defends Schumacher: “Why does Todt talk about intentional accidents? Does he want to exonerate himself retrospectively?”