It’s not official yet, but it seems that Augusto Fernández is set to lose his full-time MotoGP seat in 2024, with Pedro Acosta taking his place at GasGas Tech3 alongside Pol Espargaró.
KTM has five riders for four bikes, and over the past few months, there have been several rumors about possible solutions, including a surprising departure of Jack Miller from Red Bull KTM and Espargaró’s retirement. Another option that the Austrian team explored was securing one or two additional MotoGP seats with another satellite team, but it was unsuccessful.
According to Super7moto.com, the decision between Espargaró and Fernández has been made: Espargaró will continue for the second season of his contract, while Fernández will be relegated to the role of a test rider. Acosta, on the other hand, will move up to MotoGP after his likely Moto2 title win.
Espargaró’s contribution to bike development during his previous stint with KTM and his strong performances even after suffering serious injuries at the Portuguese GP in March likely played in favor of the veteran. In this scenario, Fernández will have to settle for the role of a reserve rider, competing in at least six Grand Prix races as a wildcard.