Fernandez moved up to the intermediate class with Aki Ajo’s roster for 2021 and has taken the Moto2 championship by storm by winning twice in the first eight races of the campaign.
His current Ajo Moto2 teammate, Remy Gardner, was announced earlier this month as a Tech3 MotoGP rider for 2022, with Fernandez linked to the second seat on Herve Poncharal’s team.
However, KTM Motorsport boss Pit Beirer told Autosport last week that Fernandez had expressed a desire to stay in Moto2, while Petronas SRT had also expressed interest in him as Valentino Rossi’s 2022 replacement.
Fernandez was bound to a contract with KTM for 2022, which contained an exit clause of around half a million euros.
But the Spaniard has decided to stay with KTM and will move to Tech3 in 2022 with a two-year contract.
Raul Fernandez, Red Bull KTM Ajo
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
This left both Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci without a lift for the 2022 season.
Petrucci, who joined KTM this season after losing his place with Ducati, told Autosport last week that he is looking to switch to rallying and compete in the Dakar rally should he lose his place in MotoGP .
At SRT and Yamaha, Rossi has yet to make a decision about his MotoGP future, but said on Thursday in Assen that it would be “very difficult” for him to continue racing in 2022 – both with SRT and with his own VR46 outfit .
During the summer break he will make a decision about his MotoGP future.
With options to replace him now limited, SRT’s preferred signing at Fernandez is off the table, the team’s Moto2 riders Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon could line up for the ‘A-spec’ Yamaha in 2022.
Fernandez comes into the Dutch TT weekend this weekend 36 points behind Gardner after falling at the Sachsenring race last week.