How Trackhouse helped one of MotoGP’s most doubted riders become a winner

Trackhouse MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio has revealed how the American outfit helped transform Raul Fernandez into a grand prix winner.

The Spaniard made his MotoGP debut in 2022 with Tech3 KTM, having broken Marc Marquez’s victory record as a rookie in Moto2 the year before with eight wins.

But that potential went largely unfilled until October of this year, as poor KTM machinery in 2022 gave way to lacklustre form on the satellite Aprilia from 2023.

Raul Fernandez has also had his fair share of injury problems in MotoGP, including one this year which impacted his pre-season preparations.

Achieving a best of fifth in MotoGP grands prix just twice in his four seasons, he managed a first podium of any kind in the Indonesian Grand Prix sprint.

He followed that up with another at Phillip Island, before capitalising on a double long lap penalty for factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi to take control of last Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

Raul Fernandez “only needed to believe in himself”

Fernandez earned a two-year extension with Trackhouse last season, which did raise some eyebrows given his form.

And his future was questioned earlier this season, as repeated criticism from Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola was then followed by a Trackhouse test for Moto2 frontrunner Manu Gonzalez at Aragon.

Trackhouse insisted at the time that this was simply following through with its ethos of giving young talents opportunities, rather than any genuine evaluation for a 2026 seat.

Fernandez didn’t score a top 10 until he was seventh at the French Grand Prix, but started to more regularly from the Aragon Grand Prix onwards.

Brivio says Trackhouse continually spoke with Fernandez to figure out how to boost his form, while highlighting the changes he made away from the track.

“There’s no question that he has great talent,” he said.

“And also last year, when we decided to confirm him in our team, we thought he could have been the leading rider while we grew Ai Ogura up.

“So, he’s a great talent. He only needs to believe in himself, to concentrate on the work, to try to find the working system; how to work in the garage, how to give important things, to be concentrated and focused on things.

“At the beginning of this season, it was quite tough. We were struggling to score points.

“But we kept talking and looked at what we could try to improve.

“He worked a lot during the winter on his physical preparation, which was lacking a little bit last year.

“Then we started in Le Mans to be in the top 10 positions. We kept that for many races.

“Then we said, ‘Let’s try to get into the top seven’. But then he jumped suddenly onto the podium in the last two weekends.

“Anyway, I’m happy because he can show his talent, but also he showed he can be intelligent, good at managing races.

“And I think he’s a guy who came here very excited from Mandalika after the podium. So, I think he grew his confidence over these days. This helped him to get confident in himself.”