RAUL FERNANDEZ FORCED TO RETIRE IN ARAGON AFTER TECHNICAL PROBLEM

Raul Fernandez left Aragón with mixed feelings after a weekend that started with promise but ended early in the MotoGP race. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider had managed eighth in the Sprint on Saturday—enough for two championship points, though not the outcome he was aiming for. On Sunday, from fourth on the grid, he made a strong start and stayed within the top six through the opening stages.

Everything changed in the sixth lap when a technical problem forced him to pull into the pits and retire. Speaking to the media after the race, Fernandez said the team had been working hard to improve his feel for the bike. “We are a team and we must be satisfied with our work. In the morning we tried a setup that made me feel good again. We were more ready than in the race on Saturday,” he explained. He added that the early laps went smoothly: “In the first three laps I had no problems and I felt competitive. We were going well. That’s part of motorsport; something like this can happen. Now we have to think about Italy.”

When asked to clarify what went wrong with his RS-GP, Fernandez declined to provide details. “Sorry, I can’t say that. But it was a mechanical problem—we’re still trying to understand what happened,” he said.

Despite the retirement, Fernandez pointed to the positive direction of the weekend. He reflected that a podium would have been difficult, but believed he could realistically fight near the front if the race had continued. “A podium would have been difficult. A realistic goal was that I could fight with Jorge (Martin) or maybe also with Alex (Marquez). But you never know,” the 25-year-old said. “What I’m sure about is that on Saturday I had a very bad feeling with the bike, but on Sunday I felt competitive again and I was on the right path. I’m taking the positives and we need to focus on the next event.”

For Trackhouse Aprilia, Aragón was also disappointing beyond Fernandez’s early exit. Ai Ogura missed the Spanish Grand Prix due to a thumb injury. Replacement rider Lorenzo Savadori finished the race in 19th and 17th positions. The next round is in Misano in two weeks, where Fernandez is looking to return to the fight. Whether Ogura will be fit to race in Italy remains uncertain.