Trackhouse MotoGP rider Raul Fernandez says he had to shave his head as part of a bet he made with his crew chief following his maiden victory at the Australian Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old controlled last weekend’s 27-lap race at Phillip Island to score his first podium in a grand prix and his first win.
It comes four seasons into what has, until recently, been a largely difficult premier class career for the 2021 Moto2 runner-up.
Ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, Raul Fernandez revealed a completely shaved head, which he explained was the result of a bet he made with his crew chief last year after Miguel Oliveira scored Trackhouse’s first sprint podium in Germany.
“It was, like, two, three years ago, the first time I came to the box,” he said.
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“The first time I came to the box, because in Moto2 I had the same crew chief that I have now.
“So, we had a bet with him. So, last year, when we saw Miguel got the first sprint podium, we decided – or, he decided – to come to make a bet with us also: if we got a podium in the main race, we would cut my hair!
“It was crazy. It was at the dinner on Sunday, and it was a fantastic moment with the team.”
Fernandez’s victory comes off the back of solid progress on his satellite Aprilia following the Aragon test earlier in the summer.
This ultimately led to a first sprint podium at the Indonesian Grand Prix, before going on to win at Phillip Island.
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Returning to Sepang, he comes without any data from the winter, having missed the test with an injury in February.
However, he believes the steps he has made recently will matter more than data from the test.
“I think it’s important to have some data from the test, but it’s not really important because it was almost one year ago,” he added.
“So, I will try to prepare as always for the GP.
“I will try to work well with the team to make a good Friday. But the key is the big changes we’ve made in the last races.”
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