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 Tech 3 MotoGP rider for 2022, with Fernandez linked to the second seat on Herve Poncharal’s team.
However, KTM Motorsport boss Pit Beirer told Motorsport.com 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 replacement for 2022.
Fernandez was bound to a contract with KTM for 2022, which included an exit clause of around half a million euros.
But the Spaniard has decided to stay with KTM and will move to Tech 3 in 2022 with a two-year contract.
This means that both Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci will not have a lift for the 2022 season.
Petrucci, who joined KTM this season after losing his place at Ducati, told Motorsport.com last week that he is looking to switch to rallying and compete in the Dakar should he get his place in MotoGP lose.
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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 limited, SRT’s preferred signing at Fernandez is off the table, the team’s Moto2 riders Xavi Vierge and Jack 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.