Fernando Bujosa: Struggle, redemption and step up to the Moto3 World Championship

He’s the champion of the 2025 European Talent Cup (now known as Moto4 European Cup), and in 2026 he finished third overall in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and claimed three wins and four more podiums in the Moto3 Junior World Championship, in his rookie season in both series. With this impressive record, Fernando Bujosa is preparing to make his Moto3 World Championship debut in 2027, with IntactGP.

Yet, despite what he has showd, this was far from guaranteed two years before. Until 2024, Bujosa had proven his speed in several championships, but he had also gone through a tough time in the European Talent Cup, where he was struggling even to qualify for races. That changed in 2025, when the Spanish rider joined the AC Racing Team and completely turned his career around. As mentioned above, Bujosa won the European Talent Cup in 2025 and was in the front in both MotoJunior and the Rookies Cup in 2026.

An early rise, difficult moments, his comeback and securing a seat in the Moto3 World Championship grid at just 17. This and much more feature in Palmen in Motorradsport’s interview with Fernando Bujosa, another kid ready to make his mark in motorcycle racing from Mallorca.

Fernando, first of all, how do you feel about joining the Moto3 World Championship with IntactGP?

I'm really happy, because it's like a dream coming true. Ever since I got to this level, my dream has always been to make it to the World Championship. Now that we've achieved that, we have to keep working towards new goals.

Have you already set yourself any goals?

It would be great to get a few podiums, but I know it will be difficult. Besides that, the main goal is to fight and, above all, to learn. Depending on how the first races go, we'll decide some additional goals.

Let's talk about 2026 now. How do you evaluate your season in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup?

Racing there was an incredible opportunity, that opened the doors to the MotoGP paddock for me. It was a quite difficult season, because we struggled halfway through the championship. We started really well, scoring podiums and achieving good results, but in mid-season, when we reached circuits that were new to me but not to other riders, I had some more trouble. I lost some momentum. Then, I managed to come back to the front on circuits that suit me, such as Misano. When I won at Misano, everything improved. My confidence grew, I felt much more relaxed and as a result I was really strong also in Austria, even though I didn't know the circuit.

I finished the season in third place and I therefore achieved my goal: making my Moto3 World Championship debut at 17. Not everyone can, and we made it.

And what can you say about your season in the Moto3 Junior World Championship?

It was a season with quite a few ups and downs, but overall it went well. I had five DNFs: two because I crashed, one because I was taken out by another rider, and two due to mechanical issues: once the engine broke, and once I had problems with the gear lever. Apart from that, though, we showed that we had the speed and finished on the podium in almost every race we completed. I believe I was one of the most competitive riders in the championship, and it's a shame that those DNFs prevented us from fighting for the title.

When you realised that, because of bad luck, you were unable to perform at the same level as in the European Talent Cup, how did you deal with that situation?

At the beginning of the season, after winning the European Talent Cup in 2025, I had very high expectations and wanted to win. I started really well, taking pole position in Barcelona, but in Race 1 we chose the wrong tyre and then I crashed. From that moment on, I started thinking that I lacked some experience with the bike, the tyres and so on. When I then finished on the podium in the second race, I realised that I had the speed.

At the same time, I understood that it was still going to be a difficult season because we didn't have data. We knew it was going to be a season with ups and downs. Overall, though, it was a positive one: we finished on the podium at every circuit except Estoril, which is already incredible.

Is there any area where you feel you need to improve?

There are definitely many areas I need to improve, such as how I manage the race. You have to think about everything: how many laps are left, when to push towards the end, how to stay focused and how to manage the physical effort. You have to think about many things at the same time, and your mind starts to wander a little. That's something I need to work on.

What are your best memories from your victorious 2025 season in the European Talent Cup?

We had incredible races. The best memory is my first victory in that year, at Estoril, because I came from a very difficult year, in which I even struggled to qualify. To arrive at the first race and win after such a tough time was incredible, especially because I beat the reigning European Talent Cup winner (Carlos Cano, ed). I kept working and fighting to achieve my goals, and I made it happen. The team also helped me enormously. In 2025, we had everything we needed to win, and they put all their faith in me. It was some more great support for me.

What did you have in 2025, and was instead missing in the previous couple of seasons?

For me, the most important factor was my weight. When I was racing with Monlau in 2024, I was heavy due to being physically robust. When I joined AC Racing, I realised how much I was struggling because of this. By the time I arrived at my first race with them, I had lost 10 kilograms compared to the previous season.

When I was with Monlau, it was impossible to keep up with the other riders, because as soon as they accelerated, they disappeared from my sight. In 2025, however, with AC Racing, we had a great bike and I was 10 kg down. Those two factors were crucial.

Let's take an even bigger step back. When did you start racing?

I started when I was two years old. The first time I got on a minibike was in a car park in Mallorca, with Chicho Lorenzo. My father raced cars, both on circuits and hill climbs and also rallies, and he wanted me to get into motorsport. I chose motorbikes, because already being little I used to watch Marc Márquez and the other MotoGP riders, and I really liked them. We decided to go for it, and from the moment I sat on it, I couldn’t stop.

Moreover, I was born in 2009, and the following year Marc Márquez won his first World Championship title in the 125cc class. I don't remember it, because I was only one year old, but my father told me that we used to watch MotoGP together already back in those days. He's a huge motorsport fan, and we went to every race we could attend.

Would you describe your first seasons as a motorcycle racer?

I started out on minibikes with Chicho Lorenzo, then I moved to Moto5 with Cuna de Campeones. We competed in the Spanish Championship and there I finished second. Afterwards, my father, my coach, and I set up a team (Mallorca New Limits, ed) to compete in the Spanish ESBK Championship in the Moto4 class, where we raced against Máximo Quiles and other strong riders. We were a private team with no telemetry or anything like that. It was just me, my father being our mechanic, my coach Toni Adrover, and little more. Later, we competed in PreMoto3 with Miguel Oliveira's team, and together we achieved a few good results.

Then we moved to the European Talent Cup with Frando Racing, and that's when the difficult times began. I raced with Frando and Monlau teams, and in 2025 I joined the AC Racing Team, the only team I've spent more than one season with. In the two previous years, I changed teams at the end of every season because I didn't feel completely good with them. With AC Racing, on the other hand, I felt great.

How did you deal with the struggles you faced in 2023 and 2024? Did you handle everything on your own, or with a mental coach?

I dealt with it on my own, but it was difficult. When we got to the final race of 2024 at Estoril, my father told me that it was our last chance, because we no longer had the money to keep racing. Perhaps, the only realistic option was to move to the 600cc. So, I approached that weekend knowing that I absolutely had to perform well. And it went that way: after fighting for 30th place previously (apart from one podium and very few good results, ed), in that weekend I qualified fifth, fought for the victory and even led the race at one point. Unfortunately, the engine broke...

Despite that, thanks to that weekend, the AC Racing Team gave me the opportunity to continue racing in the European Talent Cup. That changed my mindset, and it’s when I thought: "Someone has noticed me. Now let's go and win!"

Outside of motorcycle racing, what do you do?

I study in Mallorca, where I'm taking a course focused on sports. I've completed the fourth year of compulsory secondary education, and I've always achieved good grades. I don't like studying, but my mother has always told me that I have to do it. That's why I chose sports, so I could continue studying while also training.

We go cycling and swimming, we have fun, and we ultimately do what we enjoy most. This is what I live for. It's my dream, and I do everything I can to improve, even while studying.

Do you have any hobbies?

Cycling. When I'm not riding a motorcycle, I ride my bicycle to improve my endurance and fitness, and to manage my weight, something important on the small bikes we race in Moto3.

Do you also train with Joan Mir, Augusto Fernández, Izan Guevara, and the other riders who have made a name for themselves from Mallorca in recent years?

Yes. Since Mallorca is a very small island, we only have one circuit and it’s a small karting track of about 900 metres. We often meet up to train, and we get along with each other really well. Our island is home to some incredible riders, even though we don't have the same facilities as mainland Spain or Italy, for example. I don't know what is so special about Mallorca, to the point that so many riders to emerge. Maybe, it’s because we don’t have the same facilities as others. When we get to much better circuits than the one we're used to in Mallorca, we adapt much more easily.

What have you learned so far from training with those riders?

Above all, I've learned to understand where the limit is. You can go training on your own, set a lap time, and think you're at the limit. However, when Izan Guevara or Joan Mir comes and goes one second faster than you, you understand that the limit can be pushed further. This way, we keep improving each other and help one another, because none of us is always faster than everyone else. We all support each other, and that enables each of us to become a better rider.

You've known Augusto Fernández since you were little. How did you meet?

The first time I got on a motorcycle, when I was two years old, he was there with me, because my coach used to work with him as well. Chicho Lorenzo taught Toni Adrover everything he knew, and then Toni shared that knowledge with us. He started with Augusto, and later I joined them. Eventually, Toni later focused entirely to me, because Augusto’s father was also a rider and he later became his manager.

We don't see each other very often now, because he lives in Andorra. But whenever we have the chance to spend time together, we do it. He's like a brother to me.

In general, what are your strengths and weaknesses as a rider?

My main strength is self-confidence. As far as I'm concerned, I know I'm the best rider on the track. I'm not saying I'm the best in the world, but wherever I race, I think I'm the best. I've proved that to myself in 2026. Moreover, I am quite aggressive: when I see a gap, I jump into it even if it’s narrow.

My weakness, on the other hand, is managing my emotions. I'm a bit impulsive, and if someone touches me or does something strange, I feel I have to return it, and even worse. It's something I need to learn to manage. I imagine that, with experience, I'll improve in that area too.

And as a person?

I stay focused on my own goals and on sport. While you see other guys still playing football at 8 or 9PM, I'm already in bed thinking about the next day and going over everything in my mind. One of my weaknesses, though, is that I'm a bit lazy when it comes to getting up in the morning. I find it difficult to get up early. Little by little, I'm trying to improve in that area too.

Finally, Fernando, it's time for the "Thank You Moment".

I want to thank the AC Racing Team for supporting me throughout this journey and providing me with everything I needed to help me achieve my goals. I'm also immensely grateful to my father, my mother and my brother: they have given everything for me and sacrificed a lot so I could achieve my goal. I'd also like to thank my coach Toni Adrover, who now dedicates his life to my career, and Augusto Fernández, who has helped me on my path.

Palmen in Motorradsport is thankful to Fernando Bujosa for his time, and to Alessandro Cassinari and Riccardo Rama (AC Racing Team) for making this interview possible. Best wishes to both Fernando and the team for the next chapters of their stories.