Augusto Fernandez’s struggles in Qatar were in noticeable 🎉c♏ontrast to his new teammate Pedro Acosta.

Acosta has stunned onlookers throughout preseason ahead of his rooki🎐e♔ MotoGP season.

The teenager, entering the premier class with Tech3 GASGAS as the M⛄oto2 champion, has drawn comparisons to a young Marc Marquez.

Simon Crafar, the ex-rider an🍨d now a broadcaster, could no longer hide his admiration for Acosta: “It’s too late! Tꦐhe cat’s out of the bag!

“We’re all excited about♋ Pedro. I was tryin෴g to play it down…

“He has just amazed everyone at both tests, Sepang and h🌱ere.

“The lack of mistakes, the brilliant feedback to his team, how h♚e looks on the bike, the lap times…

“He is just doing everything. Quite amazing.

“He’s outꩲ there with experienced riders looking like he’s meant to be there, fighting with them on track.”

But, on the other side of t♚he Tech3 GASGAS box, there has been difficulty🎐.

“The contrast? Augusto is a good rider. 𝕴He showed that he deserves to keep the 🏅job,” Crafar said.

“He started the year on the back foot, a real🍸ly rou🍬gh test in Sepang.

“Then, [in Qatar], he had bad luck. His engine went so spent the second half of the [first] day with one bike. Then he wrಞote that bike off, at the end of the day, before the time attacks so we don’t know what he could do.

“Then his mecha🍸nics had a busy night. He was the first guy on track to check his bike wh🤪ich had been repaired.

“It still hasn’t come together for him.

“So, I just hope that it doesn’t cont🗹inue like this, a🤪nd he doesn’t have a really tough year.

“He’s a very goo🐭d rider, a great kid, he’s hungry. He deserves better than he’s getting at the moment.”

Acosta’s en꧟try into MotoGP caused KTM to scramble last year to find him a place.

But it was notable that, during this period, they extended🔯 the contract of Fernandez in a clear show of faith.

Fernandez was, at the time, KTM’s only out-of-contract rider fo🦄r 2024🉐.

Instead, they opted to replace Pol Espargaro.

Fernandez fi𒁏nished his rookie year ♊in 17th last season, with a best result of P4 at Le Mans, but he now faces stiff competition from new teammate Acosta.