Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez is not convinced he is in the fight for the 2026 MotoGP title, despite scoring a sensational victory at the British Grand Prix.
While Fernandez’s very future in MotoGP was in doubt just a few months ago, the Spaniard has turned around his campaign in spectacular fashion, scoring sprint wins at Mugello and Assen before claiming his first grand prix victory of 2026 at Silverstone.
These results have lifted him to sixth place in the riders’ standings, 56 points behind the factory Aprilia of Jorge Martin with 10 rounds still to run. He has also secured a new two-year contract with Trackhouse, extending his stay in the premier class until 2028.
However, the 25-year-old insists his lack of frontrunning experience will count against him, particularly against the likes of Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Ducati’s Marc Marquez.
“Everybody thinks that I can fight for the title. I don't feel that I am a title contender,” he said on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Aragon GP.
“I always try to explain that, until the numbers say no, I will try to do my best. But I am the rider who has to be there in some races, but also I am the rider who can make the mistake because I don't have the experience that they have right now.
“Marc was world champion last year, Jorge [was champion] two years ago, Marco last year was third in the championship. Since 2021, I don't have this feeling of being competitive. So, for me, we are still not a title contender.”
Fernandez began to show signs of a breakthrough towards the end of the 2025 season, registering his first MotoGP victory at the Australian Grand Prix.
He started coming under pressure again at the start of this year, but has established himself as a consistent frontrunner in recent races, taking the fight to his younger team-mate Ai Ogura, who scored his own maiden grand prix win at Assen.
But with Ogura forced out of the Aragon GP due to a wrist injury, Fernandez will now lead Trackhouse’s charge at MotorLand.
While unsure about his chances this weekend, the two-time grand prix winner didn’t shy away from admitting he is enjoying the strongest run of form of his career.
“We know that Marc here is super fast. For sure, the situation compared to last year is a little bit different. I don't really know what we can expect about the weekend,” he explained.
“We will do our maximum. We will try to be focused on what we can control. So, let's see what we can do.
“I think my confidence is at the best moment in my career, but we know that we are in MotoGP. All the riders that are here are super strong. It will not be easy keeping the level. So, let's try to do our best and let's see what we can do.”
