The Losail circuit offered a spectacular show this Sunday, sealing the triumphant return of the Noale machines to the highest level. Following in the footsteps of his teammate Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez delivered a remarkable performance, securing third place in the Qatar Grand Prix. This outstanding achievement takes on an even more heroic dimension as the Spanish rider continues to compete with two broken fingers since the Indonesian round , earning the admiration of the paddock.
Raul Fernandez is experiencing very difficult physical challenges in Qatar.
Launching his chase at Bezzecchi early in the race but never managing to close the gap to the eventual winner, the Trackhouse Aprilia rider had to contend with an inconsistent pace and a debilitating physical decline under the sweltering Losail heat. “ I really struggled . If you look at my race, my pace was very inconsistent. Sometimes I'd do two really fast laps in 1'52 or 1'53, then I'd drop back to a slower pace. That's where the first problems started . Immediately after that, I threw myself into the fray, but I also had to start managing the throttle because it was difficult to prevent the bike from running wide,” Fernández explained to Sky Sport , emphasizing the intensity imposed by the weather conditions: “I took my glove off mainly because of the heat: it was incredibly hot and humid, you could barely breathe, and it also helped cool my hand down a bit .”
😮⏱️ @25RaulFernandez 's P2 might be under serious threat as @marcmarquez93 keeps closing in! #QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/8GClUzl87e
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 8, 2026
The Marc Marquez threat and the crazy gamble at the end of the race
Caught and overtaken by a very calculating Marc Marquez in the final third of the race, the Spaniard found himself under direct threat from Ai Ogura on the last lap. To secure his place on the podium, he didn't hesitate to take every possible strategic risk on his bike. " When Marc overtook me, there were three laps to go . We completed the lap, and I looked at the scoreboard: I still had a 1,5-second lead over Ogura. At that point, I thought to myself: ' I'm going to do two timed laps and give it my all! ' Crossing the finish line of the last lap, I saw the gap drop to 0,8 seconds. I then changed the engine mapping and thought: ' Either I get on the podium, or I run out of fuel, we'll see! ' And in the end, we went back on the podium ," he recounted enthusiastically.
A gamble that paid off, confirming the Spaniard's upward trajectory before the final sprint of the season: " Despite that, I'm very happy! The last time we raced on a Sunday was in Indonesia, where we finished second, and now we're third. I think we're progressing in the right direction. I'm happy and I want to thank the team, Aprilia, and my whole family. There's not much else to say, except that I'm very happy ."
Summary of key issues and events:
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A heroic podium: Raúl Fernández snatches 3rd place at the Qatar GP while carrying two broken fingers since the Indonesian event.
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The Ogura threat neutralized: Overtaken by Marc Marquez at the end of the race, the Spaniard had to modify his engine mapping at the risk of running out of fuel to contain the comeback of Ai Ogura.
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Aprilia's momentum confirmed: After his 2nd place in Indonesia, Fernández confirms his excellent Sunday form and validates Aprilia's progress.
Do you think Raúl Fernández will be able to confirm this podium finish at the next race on the technical Portimão circuit? Let us know in the comments!
Result of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix:
Ranking credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
