According to Motorsport.com Italia, Raul Fernandez returns to the iconic Phillip Island circuit carrying the physical toll of his recent crash at Mandalika. The Trackhouse Racing rider arrives at the venue of his first premier-class victory, achieved in 2025 aboard his Aprilia, facing a very different physical reality this time around.
Even after securing a second-place finish in the long race during the last Grand Prix in Indonesia, Fernandez did so with two broken fingers on his right hand following a controversial Saturday collision involving Marco Bezzecchi. Speaking during the Thursday press conference in Australia, the Spaniard admitted that while his physical condition has improved since Mandalika, he is still not operating at 100%.
"My physical condition, compared to last year here, is a bit worse. But, respecto to Mandalika, it is improved," Fernandez explained. "The truth is that I think it can be a good weekend for us, but I'm not 100% physically, so I'll have to manage the situation with the team, and then see what we can do."
Beyond his healing hand, Fernandez pointed out that unpredictable weather and the sheer unforgiving nature of Phillip Island will present major hurdles across the weekend. Looking back at his 2025 triumph, he noted that the grid will look vastly different this time, considering that both Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin were absent from the race last year.
Amid paddock speculation regarding potential team orders for Aprilia as Martin and Bezzecchi battle Ducati's Marc Marquez following previous on-track clashes like the one in Lombok, attention turned to a recent gathering between management and all four brand riders, including Ai Ogura. While Bezzecchi denied the meeting was about team orders, Fernandez dismissed the gathering with a laugh, describing it simply as "a coffee."
