After news broke last week that Tim Gajser will undergo surgery to repair his damaged shoulder from a crash in Switzerland, attention shifted solely to the second Honda HRC pilot, Rubén Fernández. A disastrous 2024 saw the Spaniard tear his ACL at the opening round of the season, limiting him to just a handful of MXGP appearances toward the end of the year.
Fernández secured 3rd overall in Portugal and headed into his home Grand Prix full of confidence. However, a crash at the start of the qualification race brought unexpected adversity for the #70, making his eventual hometown podium all the more rewarding.
Words & Interview by Edward Heather – Images courtesy of HRC
“It didn’t start off well”, reflected Fernández. “I had a big crash yesterday in the quali [qualifying] race, but somehow we turned it around. Today, I knew I had to get two good starts and it wasn’t easy from 16th gate pick, I was a little bit tense because I wanted to do good here in front of my home crowd but it worked out well, we turned it around and made it onto the box. We have to be positive, as last year I wasn’t racing here due to injury so it is so nice to be racing here and to finish on the box in front of the home crowd”
The Spaniard’s crash on Saturday looked like it might derail his chance to perform at his best on Sunday. However, a gritty performance saw him overcome the setback and land on the podium for the first time since September 2023.
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“When you are riding, the adrenaline kicks in”, affirmed Fernández. “It is more in between the motos, your body feels heavy and you kind of feel tired when you are sore. I felt like a bag of rubbish [laughs] from yesterday, but actually, I was lucky I didn’t have any major injuries just some bruises and a swollen arm but [I] was all good to go”
His podium in Lugo marks the second time in his career that he has secured silverware on home soil. Despite the poor weather, the fans were out in full force to support the hometown hero on his way to the podium.
“Of course, it is always special”, said Fernández. “Especially after what happened yesterday, they gave me extra strength I needed. Each lap, I felt their support at every corner, that’s something I have to thank them for. Of course, it is always enjoyable to be at the home GP, even when the weather was so bad it surprised me that [there was] a lot of people here supporting, it really helped me out.”
“During the weekend, it was a little bit stressful you know, because there is a little bit of pressure, the one I put on myself of course because I want to do good in front of them and not let them down. But now, it’s a release, looking forward to go down there with my friends, family and girlfriend to celebrate”
Fernández heads into the weekend sitting fifth in the championship standings and carrying plenty of momentum as we prepare for a three-race stint, starting in Ernée, France, next weekend with round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
