RAUL FERNANDEZ HITS SECOND IN SILVERSTONE Q2 AS HE TARGETS PODIUMS

Raul Fernandez has carried his post-summer momentum into Silverstone, turning a strong start into a standout performance in qualifying. After finishing fourth in the opening free practice session, the Spaniard put his Aprilia in the spotlight on Friday afternoon, setting the second-fastest time in Q2. His 1:56.615 was just three tenths shy of the day’s top mark, earned by fellow Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi. The pace was enough for Fernandez to be among the riders capable of breaking Silverstone’s older lap record.

Fernandez described a sense of immediate comfort once he was back on the bike. “Before getting on, I always had the thought of whether I would find the feeling again—but I felt comfortable on the motorcycle right away,” he said during the media round. He linked that calm to the stability of his future, noting that his Trackhouse contract has been confirmed through 2028. “I feel relaxed, I ride with more ease because my future for the next two years is clear,” Fernandez added.

While the overall direction is positive, he still had to address questions around tyre behaviour. He said the soft rear Michelin tyre feels different compared with previous years, and that his team had to do “a lot of work” to understand it. “Now it’s almost all under control, I feel good with both the soft and the medium rear tyre,” he explained. He did not commit to which rear combination he expects to use in the sprint, saying the decision will require more data before Saturday.

Looking ahead, Fernandez’s priority is improving his time in the third sector, where he is currently losing three tenths to Bezzecchi. He also pinpointed a specific issue: “It’s Turn 15, where I feel the reference isn’t clear.” For the race, however, his objective is straightforward. “We’re at the point where we want to fight for podiums. And if we want that, we have to improve the last sector,” he said.