Raul Fernandez in tears at Mugello: the Trackhouse rider's post-victory outpouring

A hugely important success for the Spanish rider at Mugello: he’s going through a complicated moment and doesn’t know where he’ll race in 2027.

Raul Fernandez earned applause today in Tuscany. After excellent Qualifying that allowed him to grab second on the starting grid, he triumphed in the MotoGP Sprint at Mugello Circuit. A practically perfect start, he took the race lead after a few corners and held it to the end. Despite pressure from Jorge Martin, he managed everything perfectly and never left himself open to an attack from his compatriot.

For the Trackhouse team rider, it’s a highly significant victory: not only because it’s his first on a Saturday, but also because it comes at a delicate time. Beyond the criticism he received for the incident with Martin in Barcelona, his future is still to be defined. Despite an overall positive 2026 results sheet, he doesn’t have a seat for 2027. Very few spots remain, one of which is with the very American squad he currently rides for, which is also considering other options after practically “locking in” Enea Bastianini.

Interviewed by Sky Sport MotoGP, the 25-year-old Spaniard didn’t hide his satisfaction and also revealed he’d had a rough wake-up: "I’m super happy, but this morning I woke up with a bad stomach. I didn’t eat much, because I didn’t feel right. This isn’t a simple win like others, given that I was and am in a fairly difficult situation. Without my family and my team I wouldn’t be here."

Fernandez explained why he chose to use the medium rear tire and admitted there were tears at Mugello: "In the race I tried the strategy we’d planned before the start. After Qualifying I was convinced to use the medium rear tire, because the soft was pushing the front a lot and I don’t like that. I was crying on the last lap, because we’re in a bit of a complicated situation. Everyone knows it… But I showed what I can do."

There was a moment when Martin closed back in, but the Trackhouse rider kept his head and didn’t make mistakes: "I tried to manage it when I saw I had a one-second gap over Jorge — he explains — "also because I’d noticed the rear tire had heated up a lot on the right side. There was a red alarm on the dashboard and I decided to ride a bit more calmly. Then I ran slightly wide at Turn 10 and that’s where Jorge caught me, but I stayed calm and in the end I managed to win."

Obviously, the Madrilenian wants to confirm himself at the very front again in Sunday’s race, but it’s also important to improve his condition to handle the full distance well: "I need to speak with the doctor. The problem isn’t that I can’t eat, it’s that I can’t manage to eat because my stomach hurts. I need energy, because the race will be long."

Today’s win and doing well again on Sunday could help him secure a contract renewal with the Trackhouse team. Fernandez’s manager is in contact with team boss Justin Marks and hopes to get a deal signed as soon as possible. He’s having a positive 2026 MotoGP season and sits fifth in the overall standings; you can’t say he doesn’t deserve a spot on the grid for 2027 as well. The results are there.

Sometimes that’s not enough, because other dynamics come into play. Clearly, Raul hopes not to be left out of the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing; he’s trying to give his all to show his full value. Today at Mugello he succeeded and intends to repeat himself tomorrow as well. Winning will be harder, since everyone should start with the medium rear tire and he won’t have today’s “advantage” anymore, but he has the potential to be one of those in the top 5–6 at the end of the race.