Ever since joining MotoGP, Raul Fernandez has consistently struggled to find a level of pace which would be expected from a premier class rider.
The Spaniard is in his third season with Trackhouse Racing and things continue to fail to come together for him.
After failing to finish higher than 12th in the first five races of 2025, the 24-year-old managed his third-best result ever at the Grand Prix of France one week ago.
Fernandez finished seventh in a chaotic rain-affected race, but dug deep to string a positive result together for his team and manufacturer Aprilia, who have endured a dismal year.
The team’s struggles may be tied to Fernandez missing a piece at Trackhouse, as he is yet to feel comfortable on their bike.
Fernandez couldn’t say anything bad about Aprilia earlier in the season after a positive COTA result, but he still has a long way to go to match rookie teammate Ai Ogura.
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The Spaniard’s current contract runs until the end of 2026, giving him some time to experiment to find pace without much pressure on his shoulders.
Aprilia’s bike should only improve, after sitting bottom of the constructors’ championship after six races. They’ve clearly been hampered by the absence of factory rider and reigning champion Jorge Martin.
Fernandez has found gradual improvements, finishing higher year on year since arriving in MotoGP. However, new teammate Ogura’s electric performances have shown him up a little.
Now, Trackhouse boss Davide Brivio has warned his rider that he needs to find improvements if he wants to stick around.
“There are no dates or ultimatums, but it’s clear that Raúl needs to react, and he needs to do it himself,” he told Motorsport.com.
Is Raul Fernandez in danger of losing his MotoGP ride at Trackhouse?
It’s hard to assess whether Fernandez’s future is in direct jeopardy currently, but it is fair to say that he has failed to do much of note over the past three years.
Maybe it’s the bike that he cannot gel with, but at the age of 24, he has very many years of racing left in him if he wants.
Few have as much experience as he does this early in their career, and it should be valuable in the future.
It’s going to be important to continue to show more than just glimpses of promise over the rest of this season.
He cannot leave all the heavy work for Ogura to do on his own. Trackhouse might be capable of a lot more, but fans are just not aware of it.
