Actualizado
The Phillip Island Circuit has turned into a landmark for Raúl Fernández . Just four days shy of his twenty-fourth birthday, he celebrated his first-ever victory in MotoGP , solidifying his presence in his third season of racing at the pinnacle of motorcycling. While he flirted with victory during the sprint race, he had to settle for a second-place finish. Nonetheless, this marked his second consecutive podium on a Saturday. Joining him on the podium were two Italian riders: Fabio Di Giannantonio , who finished second with a bittersweet taste, and Marco Bezzecchi , who overcame a challenging situation to claim third place.
In his post-race remarks, a jubilant Raúl Fernández expressed, “I can’t believe it. After so long, we have managed to achieve something like this. The entire team never stopped believing and supporting me, and that allowed me to reach this achievement. The last five laps felt eternal, and I want to thank everyone on the team and my family.” With this victory in Australia , he became the sixteenth Spanish rider to stand atop the MotoGP podium.
His success was no fluke; he started the race in second place, trailing a fast Marco Bezzecchi . Fernández was briefly overtaken by Pedro Acosta , who ultimately fell back to fifth after being passed by Álex Márquez , who finished fourth after initially holding onto second for some time, along with Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi.
“Push from the Start”
Reflecting on the challenging conditions, Fernández shared, “It was a super tough race. With the penalty, everything became more complicated. The strategy worked perfectly; I aimed for a great start and to push early on, and I managed to do that, but I didn’t expect to end up on the podium under these circumstances.” The Aprilia rider now sits third in the overall standings, ahead of Pecco Bagnaia , who faced a reversal of fortune yet again, ending up on the ground.
Di Giannantonio described the race as fantastic, yet “a little bittersweet because we ruined our chances at victory during qualifying.” This season has been a rollercoaster ride for him as well, but he expressed a determination to keep progressing, noting the thrill of racing on the amazing Phillip Island track. He fought his way to second place, executing a daring move to overtake the younger Márquez with five laps to go, while Bezzecchi waited until the penultimate lap to displace him from the podium.
As for other Spanish competitors, Álex Rins secured seventh place, Pol Espargaró finished tenth, and Fermín Aldeguer took fourteenth. Unfortunately, Joan Mir was unable to finish the race due to a crash, mirroring the fate of riders like Johann Zarco and local favorite Jack Miller . Next week, the Malaysian Grand Prix will wrap up the Asian leg of the season, transitioning to the final two rounds of the year. The first of these will be in Portugal from November 7 to 9, followed by Valencia , which traditionally hosts the season finale a week later.
The Phillip Island victory has not only etched Raúl Fernández’s name into the history of MotoGP but also catalyzed an exciting chapter in his burgeoning career. As he looks to the future, this win could be the catalyst for many more milestones and successes. The enthusiasm circulating around his achievement may inspire a wave of hope for fans and followers of Spanish riders in the world of motor racing.