Raul Fernandez tempers expectations: "I'm not a title contender yet—here's why

Great weekend in Buriram, but Fernandez doesn’t want to get carried away: he’s clear about his goal for the 2026 MotoGP season.

Aprilia was the best manufacturer at the Thai Grand Prix, all the riders showed they were competitive with the RS-GP26 and there’s a lot of curiosity about how the pecking order will look in the upcoming MotoGP rounds. One of the standout riders in Buriram was Raul Fernandez, third in the sprint race and third in the main race. A double podium that confirms the Spaniard’s growth, which he had already shown in the second half of 2025. The victory at Phillip Island, his first in the class, gave him a lot of confidence. And starting the 2026 championship with two podiums makes him even more confident in his abilities.

Interviewed by Fast & Curious, Fernandez had the chance to revisit his fantastic weekend in Buriram: "It all came from a good pre-season, a preparation where we didn’t have many problems. I’d had a poor pre-season for two years and that affected me in the first part of the year. After last year’s crash in Portugal I injured my shoulder and in Thailand we had to see how it reacted. I wasn’t feeling good with the soft tire, but on Friday we found some solutions and from Saturday everything went well. I wanted to finish the race and score points, which is important to start the year, but it went even better...".

The Trackhouse Racing MotoGP rider is confident he can perform well throughout the rest of the 2026 season, both because he feels he has a competitive technical package and because he feels he is growing, even if not yet ready to target the title: "I think I can be consistent. The bike has improved a lot, the arrival of Fabiano Sterlacchini has been important. I still have to learn; I’m not a title contender. I need to be the rider who consistently finishes in the top eight, and if we can have a race like the one in Thailand, we’ll take it, but I still lack experience. I’m keeping a low profile; I think I’m missing one last step, the things you need to fight for a world championship".

Fernandez doesn’t think he’s yet able to aim to become MotoGP world champion, and he names the riders he sees as more ready to battle for the crown in 2026: "The title contenders are Bezzecchi, Márquez, Acosta: I see them as a bit more complete than I am at the moment, and they should be the benchmark. I need to be the rider who can be ready from time to time".

Raul certainly doesn’t have the pressure to win; his goal with the Trackhouse team is different, and he’s right to highlight that. Piling on too much pressure is pointless. In any case, doing well in the first part of the championship is also important with a view to negotiating his contract for 2027. Staying with his current team is definitely a concrete option.