FERNANDEZ’S MANAGER SAYS TRACKHOUSE FACED AN ULTIMATUM OVER 2027 DEAL

Raul Fernandez’s two-year contract extension with Trackhouse Racing was announced on August 5, shortly before the British Grand Prix. His manager, Paco Sanchez, says the deal came only after the team faced a deadline—and after Fernandez had a concrete alternative with KTM Tech3.

Fernandez, runner-up in the 2021 Moto2 championship, moved to MotoGP with KTM Tech3 in 2022. He struggled in his rookie season, finishing 22nd overall, then joined the RNF Aprilia team for 2023 and placed 20th with 51 points. Trackhouse took over the satellite operation in 2024, as Fernandez continued to improve. He claimed his first MotoGP victory at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and added a podium at the Valencia season finale.

His results strengthened further from the second half of 2025. In 2026, he opened the season with two podiums in Thailand, then won sprint races at Mugello and Assen and reached the Grand Prix podium at Assen and the Sachsenring. Yet, despite that form, he still had no contract for 2027.

Sanchez told SPEEDWEEK that he had spoken with every manufacturer as options gradually disappeared. Some negotiations, he said, came close to completion, but the teams ultimately chose other riders. KTM contacted him at Assen and made a binding offer for Fernandez to join Tech3 after a meeting with the team owner. Trackhouse then responded with its own firm proposal.

Sanchez attributed the delay to uncertainty within Trackhouse following the announcement that team principal Davide Brivio would leave the organisation at the end of 2026. “It was unclear who was responsible for renewing the riders’ contracts,” he said. Sanchez also noted that owner Justin Marks had attended only two races up to that point in the season, with Silverstone becoming his third, and said Marks lacked MotoGP experience.

The team, Sanchez explained, was reorganising after Brivio’s departure and searching for a new team manager, slowing both renewals and recruitment. Once KTM’s offer gave Fernandez a viable alternative, the manager said, “we gave them an ultimatum, and their response was immediate: they put a contract on the table.” He added that Fernandez had always wanted to stay with Trackhouse.

The team’s plans have since taken shape, with Enea Bastianini set to become Fernandez’s teammate and experienced manager Francesco Guidotti to lead the operation from the garage.