Augusto Fern✤andez’s strugg𓃲les in Qatar were in noticeable contrast to his new teammate Pedro Acosta.

Acosta has stunned onlookers throughoꦺut preseason ahead of his rookie MotoGP season.

The teenager, entering the premier class wi꧂th Tech3 GASGAS as the Moto2 champion, has drawn comparisons to a young Maไrc Marquez.

Simon Crafar, the ex-rider and now a broadcaster, could no longer🎉 hide his admirationও for Acosta: “It’s too late! The cat’s out of the bag!

“We🐠’re all excited about Pedro. I was trying to play it down…

“He has 🐎just amazed everyone at both tests, Sepang and here.

“The lack of mistakes, the brilliant feedback to h♍is team, how he looks on the bike, the lap t๊imes…

“He is just doing everything. Quite amazing.

“He’s out there with experienced riders looking like he’s meant t♚o be there, fighting with them on track.”

Bu🌳t, on the oth🌊er side of the Tech3 GASGAS box, there has been difficulty.

“The contrast? Augusto is a good rider. He showed that he deserves to k♏eep the job,” Cr♛afar said.

“He started the year on the back foot, a 🐼really rough 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 wrote that bike off, at the end of the day, before the time attacks s💛o we don’t know what he could do.

“Then his mechanics ha🐽d a busy night. He was the first guy on track to check his b🐻ike which had been repaired.

“It still hasn’t come together for him.

“So, I just hope that it doesn’t continue l𓂃ike this, and he doesn’t have a really tough year.

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

Acoඣsta’s entry 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 for 2꧙024.

Instead, they opted to replace Pol Espargaro.

Fernandez fini🔯shed 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.