Raul Fernandez’s Australian Grand Prix campaign ended prematurely as he succumbed to a lingering hand injury sustained at the Indonesian Grand Prix, marking the second Aprilia rider forced out of Phillip Island after Jorge Martin’s crash. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider, who claimed his maiden premier class victory at last year’s Australian GP, showed promising pace throughout practice and secured sixth on the grid. However, his race was cut short when he retired from the sprint with four laps remaining due to intense pain caused by fractured fingers.

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Fernandez’s injury traces back to a collision with Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi during the Indonesia sprint two weeks prior, which resulted in two fractured fingers on his right hand—his crucial brake control. Despite pushing through the pain to finish second in Mandalika and even leading the race for 18 laps, the demanding Phillip Island circuit proved too physically taxing. Fernandez retired on lap nine of the 13-lap sprint after the inflammation around the stable fracture worsened, rendering him unable to continue.

Following his withdrawal, Fernandez underwent immediate medical assessment by the MotoGP Medical Director. Although the fracture remained stable, the soft tissue inflammation forced the team to declare him unfit for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Trackhouse Aprilia confirmed Fernandez will head to Malaysia for further evaluation before the Sepang round, with rehabilitation already underway to reduce swelling and prepare him for potential participation.

Fernandez’s misfortune compounded Aprilia’s woes as Jorge Martin, the former championship leader, suffered a severe high-speed crash at Turn 8 during Saturday’s sprint. The Spaniard was locked in a fierce battle with Marc Marquez for the win and championship positioning when he lost control on lap eight of 13. Martin was stretchered off the track and ruled out of the Australian GP due to a wrist fracture—a devastating setback for his title ambitions.

Marc Marquez capitalised on Martin’s exit to claim victory in the sprint, extending his championship lead to ten points heading into Sunday’s main race. No official update on Martin’s condition has been released since the incident.

Raul Fernandez reflected on his ordeal: “The Australian track was physically more demanding than Mandalika, and the discomfort became too great to continue. We will focus on reducing the inflammation and see if I can race in Malaysia.” The double blow to Aprilia at Phillip Island underscores the brutal toll MotoGP’s relentless calendar and fierce competition exact on riders and teams alike.