– Raul Fernandez will remain with Trackhouse beyond the 2026 season. The US-American MotoGP team of Justin Marks officially confirmed the contract extension with the 25-year-old Spaniard on Wednesday. Fernandez will therefore also compete for Trackhouse in MotoGP in 2027.
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Months of negotiations preceded the agreement. Both sides had struggled over the details of a new contract for almost half a year.
The sticking point was particularly the duration: Fernandez had pushed for a two-year contract from the start, while Trackhouse initially preferred a more flexible solution. Now both sides have agreed on the duration desired by the Spaniard for two more seasons through 2028 inclusive.
“We at Trackhouse are very pleased to announce that Raul Fernandez will remain with the team for the next two seasons,” explains team owner Marks.
He explicitly praises Fernandez’s development within the team: “Since the beginning of this team’s journey, Raul has fully committed to our mission and goals. He has developed further both on the motorcycle and in his preparation, approach, and maturity as a rider.”
“We are convinced that this team and these motorcycles have the potential to regularly fight for the world championship in the coming years, and that Raul can help us achieve great success in this sport.”
Challenging MotoGP debut at Tech3-KTM
Fernandez moved up to MotoGP in 2022. Previously, he had an outstanding 2021 season in Moto2. The then 20-year-old won eight races, secured seven pole positions, and stood on the podium twelve times in total.
Nevertheless, he missed out on the world title. His then KTM teammate Remy Gardner prevailed over Fernandez by just four points.
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Photo gallery: The career highlights of Raul Fernandez
KTM then promoted Fernandez to MotoGP at the age of 21. However, the first season in the premier class was extremely difficult for the Spaniard. He raced for the brand’s second team, the Tech3 team, and initially could not meet the high expectations.
At the end of the season, Fernandez managed to terminate his contract early with the Austrian manufacturer. He then moved to RNF, the then Aprilia satellite team. There he competed in the 2023 MotoGP season.
First MotoGP win in 2024, multiple podium finishes
After Trackhouse took over the RNF project, Fernandez continued his career with the American team. In 2024, he achieved his first win in the premier class at the Australian Grand Prix. He also finished second at the season finale in Valencia, securing another podium.
Fernandez was also able to reach the podium several times in 2026. In Thailand, Assen, and at the Sachsenring, the native Madrilenian finished each race in the top 3. However, he has not yet won a race this season.
With the contract extension, he now has the opportunity to continue his development at Trackhouse. At the same time, the team is relying on continuity while the balance of power within the rider field changes for 2027.
Enea Bastianini expected to become new teammate
Because next year not only new technical rules will apply, Fernandez will also get a new teammate. Ai Ogura is moving to Yamaha’s factory team. His successor is reportedly to be Enea Bastianini.
Bastianini is joining the American racing team after two difficult years at Tech3-KTM. At Aprilia, he is expected to receive full support from the manufacturer in Noale. Thus, Trackhouse is entering the 2027 season with a pairing that has both winning experience and further development potential.
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