Davide Brivio, the boss of the Trackhouse MotoGP team, shared his thoughts on Raul Fernandez’s crash at the Sepang test, calling it a little bit strange. The incident took place on the first day of pre-season testing for Aprilia, which also saw Jorge Martin suffer a serious injury.

Fernandez's crash occurred at Turn 9, and it was serious enough to end his test early. The young rider broke a bone in his left hand and also fractured his pinky toe. He is now heading back to Barcelona for surgery.

Brivio explained, “It’s a bit strange because Raul was calm and taking his time. Unfortunately, he crashed while braking into Turn 9.”

“Now he has a fracture in his left hand. He’ll go back to Barcelona for surgery as soon as possible,” he continued. “Raul wants to be ready for the Thailand test, but we’ll wait for the doctors’ advice after his surgery. We’ll know more in the coming days.”

Interestingly, Fernandez had missed all of the first pre-season test last year after a crash as well. Brivio added, “Raul says he had a similar injury a few years ago, and after less than a week, he was back on the bike and even won a race. So, he hopes to recover quickly again. We’ll see what the doctors say after his surgery.”

As for Jorge Martin, Brivio did not have an update on his condition at the time. However, there’s a possibility that Aprilia may have to complete the Sepang test with only two riders.

Despite these setbacks, Brivio confirmed that rookie Ai Ogura’s testing program would remain the same. Ogura, who finished 16th after 58 laps on day one, is continuing to adapt to the bike. Brivio said, “No change for Ogura. We’re happy with how he’s progressing. It’s a learning experience for him, and he’s getting better every day.”

“After three days of testing, we’re focusing on used tires and electronic settings. We want to see how the bike feels when the tires start to lose grip. There’s a lot for Ogura to learn, but he’s calm and asks the right questions. So far, everything’s going well,” Brivio concluded.

It looks like both Fernandez and Ogura have a long road ahead, but the team remains optimistic about their progress.