Don’t look for Ruben Fernandez in Shanghai or Darwin. The Spanish rider will not compete in the final two rounds of the MXGP World Championship, meaning his chances of finishing inside the championship’s final top five have slipped through his fingers. Worse still, according to our sources – and as is also the case with Andrea Bonacorsi – Ruben Fernandez is also not expected to take part in the Motocross des Nations at Ernée in October.
Ruben Fernandez’s fourth and final season with Honda HRC therefore comes to an end with a withdrawal. Solid since joining Giacomo Gariboldi’s structure – but never able to take the number one spot – the Spanish rider has nevertheless enjoyed a strong 2026 season, marked by numerous top-five finishes and a podium secured in Germany. However, everything became more complicated in recent weeks. After an especially unlucky Dutch GP, Ruben Fernandez suffered a heavy crash during qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix. The incident ultimately brings his season to an end with a thumb injury, although the Spanish rider did take part in the races – in considerable pain – on Sunday.
Recently, Ruben has lost two positions in the championship following the last two rounds and now sits seventh, having been overtaken by Andrea Adamo and Tom Vialle. He will not join his teammates (Herlings and Vialle) for the final two rounds of the season, in Shanghai and then Darwin. However, he is guaranteed to finish seventh this year, as Ruben has more than 157 points in hand over Pauls Jonass – currently 10th in the championship – who is the first rider able to challenge the Honda HRC factory rider; Maxime Renaux (8th) and Kay de Wolf (9th) have already ended their seasons.
This early end to the season is all the more disappointing as Ruben Fernandez is also due to represent Spain at the Motocross of Nations in Ernée on October 2, 3 and 4 alongside Guillem Farres and Jorge Prado. His withdrawal from the final two GP’s would ultimately also lead to his withdrawal from the Spanish team, although this has not yet been confirmed. However, a certain EMX250 Champion by the name of Francisco Garcia is expected to take his place and race a KX-F 450 at the Nations, just as he did last year at Ironman.
Following Valerio Lata, Ruben Fernandez is therefore the latest Honda HRC rider to miss the end of the season. This absence also comes at a significant moment for Fernandez. After four seasons with the Honda HRC team, the partnership between the Spanish rider and Giacomo Gariboldi’s structure is now coming to an end. The Spanish rider does, however, reportedly have options for 2027…
With Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle expected to take centre stage for Honda next season, Ruben Fernandez’s presence no longer appears to be part of the Japanese manufacturer’s plans, with Honda expected to field two MXGP riders and two MX2 riders next year.
Joining Honda HRC in 2023 – alongside Tim Gajser – with the ambition of establishing himself among the best riders in the premier class, Ruben Fernandez has experienced both highs and lows during his four seasons, but has made a more than respectable contribution by finishing inside the final MXGP top five twice (2023 and 2025). He has secured eight podiums in Honda’s factory colours, including a GP victory in Argentina in 2023 during his very first outing as an official HRC rider.
Ruben Fernandez: “Unfortunately, I will not be riding in China or Australia due to the thumb injury I sustained in my crash in Turkey. We underwent some examinations when I returned to Spain and the doctors advised me to take some time off in order to avoid making the situation worse. Obviously, this is not the news I was hoping for, but I know that a thumb injury can be tricky and I don’t want to take any risks. It’s a shame, because I was having a good season and I didn’t want to miss any rounds, but that’s how it is.”
