Fernandez is giving it another go: it’s time to rewrite history

In the MotoGP Sprint in Indonesia, Raul Fernandez collided with his Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi. The crash had serious consequences: the Trackhouse rider broke his right index finger. In Sunday’s Grand Prix at Mandalika, Fernandez gritted his teeth and crossed the finish line in second place behind ‘Bez’.

This was followed by disappointment at the Australian Grand Prix. The Spaniard was forced to retire from the sprint race at Phillip Island after 10 of 13 laps due to his injury. The main race on Sunday was then called off due to poor weather conditions. In Malaysia, Fernandez wanted to give it another go, but he was still hampered there too. The tissue around the fracture had become inflamed. He made an attempt in the first free practice session – and then had to throw in the towel. The race at the Sepang International Circuit went ahead without Fernandez.

Raul Fernandez: “I think we have another good opportunity”

This weekend, Fernandez will make a fresh attempt in Qatar. At least he passed the medical check on Thursday. “I feel better and ready. But I have to manage my energy carefully because I still have to use a different finger to brake. That’s why I need a bit of time to adapt my riding style,” Fernandez explained on Thursday ahead of the race weekend in Doha. “I want to take it session by session. I think we have another good opportunity – I enjoy racing here in Qatar every time, but I haven’t yet achieved the result I’m looking for. Perhaps it’s time to change that.”

Was all the effort worth it for Fernandez – flying home from Malaysia to spend a few days working with his own physiotherapist? “We did a good job and I think it was the right decision to fly home. I was able to speed up the process in Andorra; it was the right decision,” emphasised the 26-year-old. “I spent almost a day on the plane, then I had five days to recover. I flew here yesterday.”

So far, Raul Fernandez has yet to score any World Championship points in a MotoGP main race in Qatar. The chances are good that this will change this year with the competitive Aprilia RS-GP – provided his right index finger allows it.

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06.11.2026 - 10:55