Raul Fernandez has explained his plan to return to racing after he was forced to miss the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The Trackhouse Aprilia rider had a heavy crash on Friday during practice at Portimão. He fell at Turn 1 and later said it was one of the biggest crashes of his career. The impact caused a dislocation in his shoulder. Although he tried to continue and rode again in Free Practice 2, the pain was too strong. On Saturday morning, he and the team decided to withdraw him from the race weekend.

Fernandez, who won the Australian Grand Prix in October, said on Sunday that he is already feeling better. His main goal now is to return for the Valencian Grand Prix next weekend (14–16 November). He is especially focused on the official Valencia test on 18 November, which will be important for preparing his 2025 season.

He explained that recovery from a shoulder dislocation usually takes at least three to four days. While it might have been possible to race in Portugal with a lot of pain, he and the team decided it was wiser to avoid further injury and save his strength for Valencia.

“We were thinking more about Valencia,” he said in MotoGP broadcast interview. “The test on Tuesday will be very important.”

Fernandez now hopes his recovery continues smoothly so he can return to action in Valencia and continue building momentum after a strong end to the season.