What led to one struggling MotoGP rider’s breakthrough in 2025?

Trackhouse MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio says Raul Fernandez’s breakout 2025 campaign came as a result of “hard discussions” and better physical preparation.

Raul Fernandez came to MotoGP as a highly rated prospect following his run to eight wins and runner-up spot in the 2021 Moto2 championship.

But his first three seasons on KTM and Aprilia machinery in MotoGP proved to be largely underwhelming, with the Spaniard scoring a best of fifth during the 2023 campaign.

The start to his 2025 season also proved disappointing, as he failed to break into the top 10 inside the first five rounds and faced public criticism from Aprilia over his form.

In the second half of the season, however, he became a consistent top 10 finisher and achieved a breakthrough maiden win at the Australian Grand Prix, while ending the year with a narrow defeat in Valencia.

Looking back over Fernandez’s season, Brivio says better preparation in the winter and a boost in confidence as his results improved led to his career-best results.

“I think it’s a matter of… of course, the talent has never been in discussion,” Brivio said during the Valencia finale.

“All the paddock knows how talented Raul is. I think it’s been a matter more of picking up confidence in himself, and also during the winter he changed his training methods and focused more on what’s really important in terms of physical preparation.

“For example, last year [2024], by the end of the races, he was slowing down.

“The takeaways from Valencia and Phillip Island were how consistent he was through all the races, with no single mistake for all the race distance.

“This was something that was not possible [in 2024].

“So, he’s better prepared from a physical point of view, and also the confidence that we picked up through the season.

“At the beginning of the season, we were struggling to score points, and actually, we had some hard discussions, because if you are Raul Fernandez and you finish 17th, 18th, there is something wrong somewhere.

“So, let’s try to find out what’s wrong. We said. ‘Hey, come one, you are talented - what’s going on?’

“And then from Le Mans he finished P7 and he started to build up.

“We had a number of races in a row where he was in the top 10.

“This gave him confidence, and this has increased through the season.

“The sprint podium in Indonesia was the click, probably, and then Phillip Island the win. I think we have Raul in a great shape and it’s a pity that the season is finished.”