For weeks, Raul Fernandez didn’t know what the future held for his MotoGP career—Trackhouse boss Justin Marks talks about his decision
Raul Fernandez’s MotoGP future hung in the balance for a long time. When Ai Ogura decided to move to the Yamaha factory team, Trackhouse boss Justin Marks fundamentally reevaluated the rider situation.
Marks spoke with several riders and explored various options. At the same time, Fernandez delivered strong performances on the track. At Assen, he won the Sprint and finished second behind Ogura in the Grand Prix.
He followed that up with another podium finish—a third-place result—at the Sachsenring. Marks recognized these achievements and extended Fernandez’s contract for two more years, through 2027 and 2028.
“They were definitely a major factor,” Marks told MotoGP.com about the recent successes. “Raul is, so to speak, a veteran—one of the first here at Trackhouse—and he’s put in a lot of work over the years and trusted the team.”
“He’s matured a lot, and contracts like this simply take time. There was a period of uncertainty for him this year about whether his contract would be extended. Then we began the discussions.”
“And during that period of uncertainty, he was able to block it out, get out on the track, and do his job. That shows resilience, maturity, and the right approach. He’s simply a great member of this team.”
“He’s developing as a rider at just the right pace, and I think great things lie ahead for him. That’s why it just made perfect sense for him to stay with Trackhouse.”
Uncertain Period Revealed What Fernandez Is Capable Of
Fernandez navigated the uncertain period. He consistently emphasized that he left contract matters to his manager and focused exclusively on working with the team and driving.
“I was very curious to see how he would react,” says Marks about this period. “We didn’t do it that way on purpose. We just knew there was a period when we couldn’t give him any answers.”
“We first had to figure out the future of our team—what would come after Ogura and all those things. And then to see how he takes that stress and uncertainty and turns it into performance on the track.”
“That’s exactly what great riders have to do. Because if you want to win a championship at this level, the stress and pressure just keep getting greater. And you still have to keep performing.”
It’s easier for Fernandez now
Fernandez says it was almost clear at Assen that he would stay with Trackhouse: “You can also see that I’ve been able to ride more easily since Assen. In some races, I overthought things.”
“I tried not to do that, but I did it anyway, and it didn’t help me. Everything has gotten better since Assen, but my future was also almost settled by that point.”
The 25-year-old emphasizes, however, that he had other “interesting” offers. But: “For me, it was easiest to continue with the same crew and stay with the same team.”
The contract extension was made official ahead of the race weekend at Silverstone. Fernandez thanked the team with his second Grand Prix victory. Currently sixth in the World Championship, he trails by 56 points.
What is his goal for the rest of the season? “To enjoy it. I want to enjoy it. Because before the contract was finalized, I had something on my mind and couldn’t really enjoy the situation.”
“Now I can enjoy riding the motorcycle more. We know we have a very good motorcycle. You can see that the team is in a really good phase right now, and we’ll try to push until the end.”
Meanwhile, Fernandez’s future teammate for the next two years has also been confirmed. Enea Bastianini is coming over from Tech3-KTM. With Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia on the factory team, three of the four Aprilia riders on the grid will be Italian in the future.
