Raul Fernandez considered ‘nightmare’ future decision before his maiden MotoGP win at Australian GP

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Raul Fernandez is a MotoGP winner after claiming his maiden victory at the Australian Grand Prix with Trackhouse Aprilia.

Fernandez beat Fabio Di Giannantonio by 1.4 seconds as he grabbed his and Trackhouse’s first win in MotoGP. It capped off a brilliant weekend for the Spaniard and Aprilia, as they boasted the strongest package at Phillip Island.

The 24-year-old qualified fourth for the Australian Grand Prix and showcased his RS-GP25’s pace by finishing second in the Sprint behind Marco Bezzecchi. Fernandez would have known that a win was possible on Sunday.

Bezzecchi had to serve a double long-lap penalty for his crash with Marc Marquez at Mandalika. After taking the lead from polesitter Fabio Quartararo, he handed first to Fernandez with his long laps, and the Trackhouse rider did not look back.

The Spaniard held on to his advantage despite a late charge from Di Giannantonio. Fernandez’s win highlights a huge upturn in form, having suffered a ‘nightmare’ situation earlier in the year.

Raul Fernandez was considering retirement ‘halfway through’ 2025 before winning his maiden MotoGP race

Fernandez came to MotoGP with huge expectations, having won eight races in his rookie season in Moto2 in 2021. However, the 24-year-old was unable to achieve consistent results.

After a torrid debut season with KTM in 2022, he joined Aprilia with the RNF team before signing with Trackhouse in 2024. Fernandez finished 16th last season with just 66 points, as he struggled to achieve top results.

He hoped that 2025 would be different, now that he has factory machinery. But Fernandez could not get himself into the top 10 regularly enough in the opening races, which left him considering his future.

In a report from AS, the Trackhouse rider was sensationally considering retirement ‘halfway through the season’. He wasn’t comfortable on the bike because it ‘wasn’t going the way he wanted and he wasn’t enjoying it’.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Raul Fernandez from net worth to career stats

Raul Fernandez has silenced his critics with maiden MotoGP win

The 24-year-old was facing pressure to perform in the first half of the season. Aprilia were watching Fernandez closely as he gave less than favourable feedback about the bike.

Trackhouse boss Davide Brivio sent a clear warning to Fernandez that he had to improve his results. The Spaniard has certainly done that as he is starting to regularly break into the top 10.

He has grabbed back-to-back Sprint podiums at Mandalika and Phillip Island, and his victory in the Grand Prix at the latter now takes him into the top 10 of the riders’ championship.

Peter Bom felt Fernandez did not deserve another year in MotoGP, but his place is more than justified with his maiden win. He will look to continue the momentum in the final three races.