Raul Fernandez on tough MotoGP years: “You question everything”

Even before his promotion to MotoGP, Raúl Fernández was regarded as one of the greatest talents of his generation. Yet the Spaniard’s move to the premier class went anything but according to plan. Success was a long time coming, and doubts began to creep in. In the 2026 season, the situation has changed fundamentally.

His triumph at Silverstone, if nothing else, has established Fernández as a serious contender for the world title. The Trackhouse-Aprilia rider is currently sixth in the world championship standings, just 56 points behind leader Jorge Martín. After a difficult first few years in MotoGP, the Spaniard’s career is thus taking on a whole new dynamic.

Despite all the setbacks, Fernandez has never wavered in his ambitions. “What’s my goal? My goal is to become world champion. I’ll keep trying until the day I stop racing,” the 25-year-old made clear to MotoGP.com. For Fernández, only such a lofty goal justifies the effort a MotoGP rider has to put in. “You have to make a lot of sacrifices. That’s why I think it’s not worth it unless you set yourself a goal like that.”

After setbacks: doubts began to surface

However, this mindset has been put to the test in recent years. Fernández joined MotoGP in 2022 as the Moto2 runners-up, but the breakthrough he’d hoped for was a long time coming. “A few years ago, I found myself in a rather difficult situation,” Fernandez recalled. “I went through some really tough times when nothing was going to plan. When everything goes wrong and nothing works, you start to question everything.”

Raúl Fernández

Foto: Gold & Goose

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The lack of results didn’t just affect his mood at race weekends. In his daily training too, it became increasingly difficult for Fernandez to muster the necessary motivation. “Two or three years ago, when I wasn’t getting any results, the final reps in strength training and the last ten kilometres on the bike were really tough,” recalled the Aprilia rider.

Why training is much easier now

Looking back today, Fernandez sees precisely these moments from a completely different perspective. Because now he knows once again why he puts himself through the extra gruelling sessions. “Now, when I’m cycling those last ten kilometres or doing the final three reps, I think to myself: ‘These reps will help me ride another half-lap at 100 per cent. So come on!’”

What initially sounds like a barely measurable advantage can be decisive at MotoGP level. “That extra half-lap can make a huge difference in a race,” Fernandez emphasised.

The satisfaction is all the greater when years of hard work finally pay off. The victory at Silverstone was significant for Fernández not just because of the 25 World Championship points. It also confirmed to the Spaniard that the rocky road of recent years had been worth it.

At moments like these, a flood of memories comes flooding back. “You think of all the sacrifices, the good moments, but especially the difficult ones,” Fernandez explained.

Ironically, it is precisely those times when he questioned his career and the effort he had put in that now serve as additional motivation for him. And with just 56 points separating him from the top of the World Championship standings, his big goal is suddenly no longer just a long-term vision: Fernández finds himself right in the thick of the battle for the MotoGP crown.