In one of the most impressive performances of the season, Raul Fernandez secured second place at the Indonesian Grand Prix despite competing with two fractures in his hand. The Trackhouse Racing driver faced this adversity after a disastrous Saturday that caused the injuries.
Fernandez expressed his gratitude towards the MotoGP medical team, which was crucial in achieving the podium after a second fracture was confirmed in the index finger of his right hand, which is essential for braking. This incident forced the driver to significantly alter his driving technique.
To participate in the race, he needed to adapt and use his middle finger to brake, in a joint effort with his team to make the necessary adjustments. However, during the race he experienced pain towards the third of the way through, yet he temporarily remained in the lead.
After being surpassed by factory rider Marco Bezzecchi, Fernandez expressed his surprise at the result: “I don’t know how I did it!” He acknowledged that he felt very unwell in the morning and mentioned that the main difficulty was his inability to brake with the affected finger.
Fernandez described that the morning of the race began with many uncertainties about how he would brake and enter the corners again. With the support of the team, he was able to adjust the position of his hands on the motorcycle handlebars.
After the first 13-14 laps, he felt exhausted and admitted that maintaining focus was extremely complicated. Despite the difficulties, he considered the podium a massive success given the situation.
His performance contributed to a 1-2-3-4 for Aprilia, which helped to dispel tensions between him and Bezzecchi after their collision during the previous sprint race, with both parties showing a cordial attitude on the podium.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
