Let's talk MotoGP: Here's how Raul Fernandez shocked more than one person this season!

It's time for the season debrief. As every winter for the past two years, this column analyzes each rider's campaign in detail, from the lowest-ranked to the world champion. The aim is to provide a reasoned perspective on the performance of each of our heroes, so we can all discuss it together. Are you ready for this new installment, dedicated to Raul Fernandez? Let's go!

Yesterday's episode was about Brad Binder; you can find it by clicking here.

 

Surprise

 

I wasn't expecting that at all.This year, Raul Fernandez has shown a rather impressive level, as evidenced by a dominant victory in Australia, despite never having been on the podium before. MotoGPI must admit, this rider has always left me cold, and I wasn't particularly impressed by his famous 2021 season in Moto2 – I felt that the press attributed qualities to him that he didn't have.

 

 

His early years in the premier category proved me right.Arriving at KTM Tech3 in 2022, he struggled to secure a regular place in the team, but avoided being dropped from the grid like his teammate Remy Gardner. He managed to land a new ride with Aprilia RNF in 2023, a team that became Aprilia Trackhouse in 2024. Admittedly, he had never truly experienced stability in MotoGP; changing teams every year is difficult, not to mention stressful, because you never know what the future holds. But on the track, he didn't help himself, to say the least. Raul Fernandez passed through the seasons like a ghost, never making a single spectacular move, never revealing his genius to the world.

Then came the 2025 season, where I personally expected him to finish 16th in the championship. His season can be divided into three distinct parts. First, the first third, where, in the shadow of rookie Ai Ogura, who performed very well from the first races, Raul Fernandez was invisible, just like in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Over the first five weekends, his best result was only 12th place, can you believe it?

Then there was that test, in Jerez. Searching for solutions and not far from a mental breakdownRaul Fernandez found one of the keys when he least expected it. The second phase of his campaign began, the one where he learned to be consistent. Since 2022, Fernandez had struggled to develop consistency, not to mention crashes. But this time, the breakthrough at Jerez allowed him to exploit this unsuspected quality. From the French Grand Prix, which followed Spain, things were much better. Then, he improved even further, without a single crash, until Hungary, where he had become a regular contender for a top-five finish.

A top 5 finish is a great result, but in today's MotoGP, All riders and all motorcycles are capable of itThis season, no fewer than 13 riders have stood on the podium on Sundays, which speaks volumes. So, to prove his worth in the MotoGP paddock, he needed even more performance. And that's what happened in the third phase, particularly after the Misano tests. Strangely, he struggled after the Hungarian Grand Prix, even though Bezzecchi's Aprilia had never been so strong. But this only lasted a few races. By Japan, he was back in the top 10. At the following Grand Prix, in Indonesia, he finally achieved his first top-three finish in the Sprint. Then, somewhat coincidentally, it shouldn't be forgotten, he won the Australian Grand Prix. I won't dwell on this victory, for two reasons. Firstly, as I've tried to illustrate in this article, this win isn't all that significant in terms of the overall picture of his year. It is for him and his legend, yes, but this beautiful result put into context is more the realization of a very beautiful comeback given his form at the beginning of the season than a legendary victory that will still be talked about in ten years. Secondly, I have already dedicated an entire article to this topic, which you can find by clicking here.

 

Another Raul Fernandez

 

 

This surprise of seeing him at the front, which wasn't really a surprise when you take a step back, could have carried him through the end of the season. Unfortunately, he was only able to capitalize on this positive momentum in Valencia, with a very good weekend on one of his favorite circuits. Indeed, he crashed in Malaysia, and injured himself in Portugalthus missing a very important opportunity to score big points on a circuit known to be favorable to the RS-GP.

I really feel like he's changed, that he's more relaxed. His rage, expressed on the top step of the podium at Phillip Island, revealed the difficult period he had just gone through. Even though this driver leaves me completely indifferent (Sorry, I have no control over this), I hope he continues on this path all the way to the top.

 

Conclusion

 

In a year marked more by progress and consistency than by spectacular performances, Raul Fernandez has managed to reposition himself on the scene. Now, we know he's someone a good satellite team can rely on, something that was far from guaranteed before the start of the season. In my opinion, this is his finest victory, even more impressive than his triumph in Australia. Ultimately, he finished 10th in the championship, which is quite low considering his Sunday victory, but this year should be seen as a transition, because now he needs to build on that success. We won't be able to judge his 2025 campaign until the end of the 2026 season, and finally, we'll know whether or not Raul Fernandez can achieve lasting success at the highest level..

What did you think of his season and his victory? Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport