ASSEN, Netherlands — Raul Fernandez believes his outstanding performance at the Dutch Grand Prix has placed him in a stronger position regarding his MotoGP future as negotiations over a new contract with Trackhouse Aprilia continue.
The Spanish rider enjoyed the finest weekend of his 2026 campaign at Assen, recovering from the disappointment of losing a maiden MotoGP pole position because of a track limits violation to win Saturday’s sprint before finishing second behind teammate Ai Ogura in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The results capped an emotional turnaround for Fernandez, who only days earlier had been uncertain whether he would even be fit enough to compete after undergoing treatment for appendicitis.
“It was almost the perfect weekend,” Fernandez said. “Yesterday we fought for pole until the end and won the sprint. Today we fought for victory until the last five or six laps, so for sure I’m very happy.”
Fernandez said his objective entering Sunday’s race had been to battle for the podium rather than victory, making his runner-up finish even more satisfying.
“We will analyze how Ai managed the final part of the race,” he said. “But what I can say is that I’m happy because the target today was to fight for the podium.”
The Spaniard admitted he had reservations about using the medium rear tire throughout the race and said the team was still evaluating its setup right until the starting grid.
“I wasn’t really convinced about the medium rear tire,” Fernandez said. “Until the end on the grid I was waiting to see what the others would do, and I think our bike wasn’t 100 percent ready for that tire.”
Even so, Fernandez described the overall weekend as an important step forward after overcoming recent health problems.
“The work we did during the weekend was super positive,” he said. “One week ago I was thinking I wouldn’t even be able to ride at Brno because of appendicitis, and in these two races we scored many points.”
Contract discussions also gathered momentum during the Assen weekend. Fernandez’s manager, Paco Sanchez, confirmed the Trackhouse team presented an initial contract proposal on Friday, with negotiations now moving into the next phase.
“Now there’s an initial offer, and we need to discuss it with the team,” Sanchez said. “I don’t know what more he needs to do to secure a place next year.”
Fernandez also indicated that an agreement could be finalized in the near future.
“I’m in a better position now,” he said. “Hopefully there will be an announcement soon.”
Several teams continue to monitor the rider market ahead of the 2027 season. Reports have linked Fernandez with a possible return to Tech3, the team where he made his MotoGP debut in 2022, although the KTM-backed squad is also understood to be pursuing Honda rider Luca Marini and rising Moto2 talent Senna Agius.
Meanwhile, Trackhouse could face further changes, with Ogura widely expected to join Yamaha’s factory lineup next season and Enea Bastianini emerging as a leading candidate to replace the Japanese rider.
Fernandez leaves Assen sixth in the MotoGP championship standings and 55 points behind new championship leader Jorge Martin, with his recent surge in form strengthening both his title ambitions and his bargaining position in ongoing contract negotiations.
