Raul Fernandez has done it—he will remain in MotoGP: deal close

After the Sprint victory, another strong race performance at Assen: the Spanish rider is heading toward confirmation in MotoGP.

Raul Fernandez deserves to stay on the premier class grid and proved it again during the recent Dutch Grand Prix weekend. Fourth in qualifying, with pole position lost for a slight touch on the green, then triumph in the sprint race and second place in the main race. Aprilia was certainly superior to all the other bikes at Assen, but achieving such results is never guaranteed. It’s worth noting that both he and Ai Ogura, second on Saturday and first on Sunday, outperformed the factory team riders. A historic GP for the SuperFile Trackhouse squad, which notched two one-twos.

Despite the Madrid rider’s good results, he still doesn’t have a contract for 2027. His manager Paco Sanchez stated it clearly after the sprint race, revealing that an offer from the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP team only arrived on Friday. According to rumors, the offer was a one-year deal with an option to extend through 2028.

But Fernandez and his manager wanted a straight two-year agreement, and it seems the parties moved in that direction over the weekend. Sanchez told Sky Sport MotoGP: "I think we’re on the right track to find the final agreement. I’m convinced we’ll get it done soon; before heading to Germany we should have everything wrapped up".

Francesco Guidotti, the new team manager of SuperFile Trackhouse, also explained that Fernandez should remain with the American squad for 2027–2028: "We’ve found a good direction for a very short-term deal with Raul. I was surprised he had almost been forgotten. We talked and quickly found the direction. I think the last offer we made will please him; we’re really close. The financial aspect wasn’t a difficult hurdle; that wasn’t the issue in the negotiation. The contract length was a more in-depth point of discussion, but it now seems all resolved.

Guidotti said he was surprised that Trackhouse hadn’t already secured the Spaniard, given his positive results. His arrival at the team changed the situation, and the parties should be signing soon. Fernandez is expected to partner Enea Bastianini, arriving from KTM Tech3, for 2027–2028.

Speaking of the KTM Tech3 team, which had also sounded out Raul himself, it appears there’s a chance we’ll see Luca Marini racing the Austrian bike next year. With his latest statements against KTM, Maverick Vinales has practically shot himself in the foot, and his confirmation seems unlikely. For the other seat there’s an ongoing head-to-head between Manu Gonzalez and Senna Agius, Moto2 riders from the Intact GP team.

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