Ruben Fernandez will miss the final two rounds of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship after medical assessments confirmed he requires time away from racing to recover from a thumb injury sustained at the MXGP of Turkiye.
The Spanish rider crashed during the Turkish round but battled through both motos to complete the weekend. However, further examinations after returning to Spain revealed that continuing to race could worsen the injury, prompting doctors to rule him out of the remaining events in China and Australia.
The setback brings an early end to what had been a strong campaign for Fernandez. The Honda rider had regularly featured inside the top five throughout the season and remained in contention for a top-five finish in the MXGP World Championship standings.
“Unfortunately I will not be riding in China or Australia due to the injury to my thumb from the crash in Turkey,” Fernandez said.
“We got some checks done after I returned to Spain, and the doctors have advised that it is better to take some time off, in order to avoid making it worse.
“Obviously, this isn’t the news I wanted to hear, but I know that thumb is a tricky thing and I don’t want to risk it.
“It is a shame, because I had a good season going and I didn’t want to miss any racing, but this is how it is.”
Fernandez’s injury will also rule him out of the 2026 Motocross des Nations at Ernée, with Spain confirming EMX250 champion Francisco Garcia as his replacement. Garcia returns to the Spanish squad after representing his country at last year’s Nations, while Fernandez turns his attention to recovery ahead of the 2027 season.
Fernandez’s absence leaves Honda HRC PETRONAS with just two MXGP riders for the final rounds, with newly crowned world champion Jeffrey Herlings and in-form Tom Vialle set to carry the team’s challenge in Shanghai this weekend.
Team manager Marcus Pereira de Freitas said Fernandez’s withdrawal was disappointing given the Spaniard’s consistent form throughout the season.
“It is a shame that Ruben won’t be joining us for the rest of the trip,” Pereira de Freitas said.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Fernandez, who had established himself as a regular front-runner in 2026 and was enjoying one of his strongest seasons since joining the factory Honda effort.
With the championship heading to Shanghai for the MXGP of China before the season finale in Australia, Fernandez’s focus will now shift to rehabilitation and ensuring he returns fully fit for the 2027 campaign.
