Raul Fernandes, who suffered injuries during the past two seasons of Sepang MotoGP testing, was relieved to have completed the 2026 test feeling worn out but without any harm. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider, surprising many with a victory in 2025, finished the three-day session in Malaysia 10th on the time charts, trailing leader Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) by 0.843 seconds.
“For two years, I couldn’t even finish the first day, but now I’ve completed three days of testing feeling exhausted, and that feels great,” Fernandes said with a smile. “This test was crucial because of the aerodynamic package. We won’t have time to homologate another aero setup, so we needed to make a clear choice before heading to Thailand. I’m really happy because I settled on something I like.”
Despite the progress, there are still challenges ahead for the RS-GP bike. “There are still aspects of the bike I’m not comfortable with, so plenty of work remains,” he admitted. “The hardest part is the time attack, especially when trying to push faster laps on soft tires. Right when the grip peaks, I can’t fully exploit my riding style. This is what we need to figure out in Thailand—how to unlock more potential with the soft tires.”
Meanwhile, Fernandes and Trackhouse can draw inspiration from factory rider Marco Bezzecchi, who posted the fastest time in the final afternoon and finished second overall behind Marquez. “I think Aprilia has done a fantastic job, and the bike is competitive again,” Fernandes said. “As Marko showed during the time attack, he was extremely fast. We need to find out what improvements they made in testing to enhance the time attack because if that gets better, race pace will follow.” Fernandes’ teammate Ai Ogura posted the 12th quickest time.
Fan Take: This update is exciting for racing fans as it signals Aprilia’s return to strong form and highlights Raul Fernandes’ resilience and potential growth. If Aprilia can refine their time attack performance, the 2026 season could bring intense competition and thrilling races.
