Raul Fernandez, MotoGP’s newest race winner, revealed the emotional battles he faced earlier this season, admitting there were times when he “couldn’t even wake up in the morning with a smile.”
The Spanish rider, who stormed to victory at the Australian Grand Prix, said he came close to walking away from MotoGP altogether after enduring several difficult years since his debut.
Fernandez made headlines in 2021 by breaking Marc Marquez’s record for the most wins by a rookie in Moto2, finishing second in the championship. However, his transition to MotoGP in 2022 with KTM proved frustrating, as he struggled to adapt to uncompetitive machinery. A move to the RNF Aprilia team in 2023 brought some improvement, but results remained inconsistent.
Before his breakthrough at Phillip Island, Fernandez’s best MotoGP finishes were two fifth places—one in 2022 and another in 2024. A sprint podium in Mandalika this year reignited his motivation, and the Trackhouse Aprilia rider arrived in Australia with renewed belief.
“There was a moment when I no longer wanted to continue racing in MotoGP,” Fernandez told DAZN. “I just wanted to be happy, but I wasn’t enjoying myself. My family and my crew chief saw how hard things were for me. After Jerez, we sat down, had pizza, and talked about finding a solution. I wasn’t smiling anymore. But they helped me through it.”
He credited his turnaround to the support from his team, his family, and Trackhouse manager Davide Brivio. “We decided to rebuild things slowly, step by step. Honestly, I didn’t think this victory would come so soon,” he added.
Fernandez’s emotional win not only marked his first in MotoGP but also delivered Aprilia’s 300th grand prix victory. He becomes the third new race winner in 2025, following Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer.
