Raúl Fernández ended the Japanese Grand Prix with a significant amount of frustration. The Aprilia rider faced a penalty in the form of a Long Lap due to an incorrect bike position during a change. The bike was not within the designated lines, leading to the penalty.
Fernández expressed his annoyance, stating, “It’s not just about losing three positions. It affects the hard work of a team comprising more than 50 people. It’s not acceptable.” He continued, “We’re in the best championship, and the rules that we have are sometimes a joke,” he fumed. “A joke. We need to improve the f***ing penalties. You can kill one rider and you have a warning, but if you close the line one pitbox before yours, you have a long lap. This is a joke.”
“OK, if you do it the first time and to have a long lap? This is a stupid thing. I’m really happy with the work we did during the weekend, fighting for top six, but the penalty wasn’t the correct thing. We are in the f***ing MotoGP championship and sometimes we look like children. When you have more than 20 people behind you, they can’t destroy your race.”
Fernández was visibly upset about the in-race penalty. He emphasized, “We have the best championship, with all the top manufacturers. The bikes are incredible. The current influence of MotoGP is immense. And for such a trivial matter, you get a Long Lap penalty?”
He added, “Our position was to finish sixth. It doesn’t change from sixth to ninth. It’s clear that our performance isn’t a one-off, and we’re consistently up there. But this irks me. Every action has different consequences. I apologize, but this seems surreal.”
Explaining the incident, Fernández said, “When entering to change the bike, there were about eighty mechanics crossing paths. The mechanics with the panels stand up early when a rider approaches. I was passing by and saw a stop sign being lifted instead of being held in place. That’s why I went in that direction. Otherwise, there would have been a collision in the pit lane.”
He acknowledged, “Perhaps I didn’t handle it well. It’s my first ‘flag to flag’, which is understandable. But not even a ‘warning’? Just a Long Lap. The team laughed it off, but once it’s done, there’s nothing you can do.” Fernández concluded by explaining his stance on the situation.