Ruben Fernandez: “This year I haven’t felt very comfortable on the bike”

Ruben Fernandez secured a podium finish at the German Grand Prix in Teutschenthal, marking a significant turnaround in a challenging season. While Lucas Coenen dominated the event, several top contenders faced setbacks, including Tom Vialle’s absence and Jeffrey Herlings’ mechanical retirement. Fernandez capitalised on these misfortunes to claim his first podium of the year, providing a much-needed boost to his confidence and signalling progress after a difficult start to the season. Fernandez has struggled with comfort on his Honda HRC bike throughout the campaign, admitting that he has yet to reach his full potential. Recent adjustments to the bike have yielded encouraging results, with the Spaniard feeling more at ease during the German round. Despite this improvement, he remains focused on further refining his riding to regain the form that brought him success in previous seasons, emphasising that the weekend’s result is a positive step rather than a final destination. Within the Honda HRC team, Fernandez has often played a supporting role behind standout riders Herlings and Vialle, who have attracted much of the attention this year. However, the German GP allowed him to demonstrate his value, especially in the absence or misfortune of his teammates. His podium finish not only contributed the team’s best result of the weekend but also reinforced his potential to influence the championship’s second half, highlighting his determination to maintain a strong presence in the highly competitive MXGP field. Fernandez’s weekend was not without controversy, as an incident in the second moto involving Kay de Wolf denied him a higher overall placing. The collision occurred during an aggressive overtaking attempt, which saw both riders crash and Fernandez ultimately lose second place to Andrea Adamo. While disappointed by the lost opportunity, Fernandez accepted the incident as part of racing and remained positive about his podium finish, underlining his readiness to build on this momentum in upcoming rounds.