The reigning Moto2 world cha🍸mpion charged from twelfth to fourth for the home Tech3 GASGAS team, beating 🌱his previous best MotoGP finish by six places.

Along the way, Fernandez overtook early race leader and top KTM rider Miller, t🎃hen spent the closing stages resisting an attack from another Mo♑toGP winner in the form of Espargaro.

Fourth was also Tech3’s best result since Mig🍎uel Oliveira’s victory in the 2020 Portimao season finale, with Fernandez only 1.5s from Joha♊nn Zarco and the final podium place.

“He's doing൲ well. He's doing his work, he's not complaining, he's doing what a rookie should do,” Miller said of Fernandez.

“Results lik꧑e today come when you keep your head down and keep working.

“It's a credit to him and the team around𝓡 him. They're doing a fantastic job and I'm really happy for him𒅌.

“I was surprised when he♏ came past me today, he kinda shocked me. But I was happy to see another KTM doing well.

"As I've said in the past, t⛄his bike is working well for all of us𝔍, and we all have quite different riding styles.”

Aleix Espargaro: "I didn't want to ruin his amazing race"

Espargaro, who spent the final ten laps trying to catch and then pass Fe🐼rnandez, said:

“Augusto’s race was crazy! Cong♊ratulations to him because it's not just about to start on front, but he 🏅was able to overtake the [other] KTMs and to have a really solid pace.

"So I was very happy for Augusto."

Espargaro was also impressed that Fernandez has been able to put aside speculation over his future, a r𒀰eference to the rumours that Moto2 star Pedro Acosta is in contention for a KTM seat next season:

“I know how difficult it is to stay an⛦d to maintain youไr position in this paddock, you have to fight like a lion and he's doing it in not the best situation,. In a team that we know in the past, what [KTM] did with the rookie riders…

“So his position right now is𒁃 not easy. But he still works hard and he's the reigning Moto2 world champion."

With Fernandez holding firm despite a worn soft front tyre, Esparg💎aro (on the hard front) revea🃏led he had resisted the urge to try a risky last-gasp lunge.

“Actually, on the last lap, I༒ had some opportunities to overtake him in the last split. But I decided to don't try because I think the risk was too high and I didn't want to ruin his race because what he did today was amazing.”

Fernandez i𒈔s 14th in the world championship, 𒉰with 30 points.

Aleix’s younger brother Pol🐼 is yet to race as a team-mate to Fernandez, having been injured in practice at the Portimao season-opener. Pol hopes to return at Mugello next month.