Raul Fernandez Relieved to Complete Sepang Test Unhurt

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Raul Fernandez ended the MotoGP 2026 Sepang Test with a sense of relief after avoiding injury for the first time in three years, having suffered accidents on the opening day of the previous two editions. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider completed all three days in Malaysia exhausted but physically intact, an important step in his preparation for the new season.

Fernandez finished the test tenth overall, 0.843s behind pacesetter Alex Marquez of Gresini Ducati. The result represented a more stable and productive Sepang outing for the surprise race winner of 2025, particularly after two previous tests were cut short by injury.

“After two years, when I didn’t finish the first day, now I feel good to end the test feeling destroyed after three days,” Fernandez said. He underlined that simply completing the test without physical setbacks was a significant milestone given his recent history at the Malaysian circuit.

The Sepang test carried particular importance for Trackhouse Aprilia due to the need to finalise the aerodynamic package on the Aprilia RS-GP. Fernandez stressed that a definitive aero choice must be made before the opening round in Thailand, as there will be no opportunity to homologate an alternative package once the season begins.

“It was a very important test because of the aerodynamic package,” he explained. “We have to be convinced about what we want before Thailand, because we will not have time to homologate another aero package.”

“So about this I am really happy, because we decided on something that I like,” Fernandez added, confirming that the direction chosen aligns with his riding preferences.

Despite the positive step on aerodynamics, Fernandez acknowledged that several areas of the RS-GP still require improvement. He admitted that he is not yet fully comfortable with certain aspects of the bike’s behaviour, indicating that development work remains ongoing ahead of the opening race.

“I have some things that still I don’t feel very comfortable on the bike with, so it means that we still have a lot of work to do,” he said.

The most pressing issue identified by Fernandez relates to one-lap performance. He highlighted difficulties in time attack scenarios, particularly when using the soft tyre to extract maximum grip and lap time.

“The worst part is the time attack, especially when we want to use the soft tyre to make a faster lap,” Fernandez admitted. “I can’t do it. I can’t use well my riding style at this moment when there is maximum grip.”

Addressing this weakness has become a priority heading into the Thailand test, where Fernandez hopes the team can better understand how to unlock the soft tyre’s potential without compromising his natural riding style.

“So this is the work that we have to do now in Thailand, try to understand how we can take more potential with the soft tyre,” he said.

Fernandez believes Trackhouse Aprilia has a valuable reference point within the wider Aprilia camp, with factory rider Marco Bezzecchi topping the timesheets on the final afternoon and finishing second overall, just behind Alex Marquez.

“I think Aprilia made a really good job, and the bike is competitive again,” Fernandez said. “As you see with Marco in the time attack, he was super fast.”

“We need to know what they made during the test to try to improve in the time attack, because I think if we improve the time attack, the race pace is always there,” he added, underlining his confidence in the RS-GP’s consistency over longer runs.

Fernandez’s team-mate Ai Ogura completed the test with the 12th-fastest lap time, continuing his adaptation to MotoGP machinery with the Trackhouse squad.

With Sepang completed without injury and key technical decisions already taken, Fernandez now turns his attention to Thailand, where refining one-lap performance and finalising set-up details will be critical to starting the MotoGP 2026 season on competitive footing.