MXGP: Rubén Fernández joins Yamaha for 2027 alongside Gajser

The FIM Motocross World Championship has a heavyweight transfer for 2027: Yamaha Motor Europe has confirmed the signing of Rubén Fernández for MXGP. The 27-year-old from Vigo, Spain, leaves Honda to ride a factory Yamaha YZ450FM in the premier class.

Fernández and Gajser reunited

Rubén Fernández becomes the team-mate of Tim Gajser, five-time FIM Motocross World Champion. The two know each other well: they rode together at HRC from 2023 to 2025, and Gajser made the same move to Yamaha a year earlier, according to MXMag.

A fast rider chasing consistency

Fernández joined Honda in 2021, first with the 114 Motorsports team and from 2023 with the factory squad. In 2023 he won the season-opening Grand Prix in Argentina, his first Grand Prix victory. He finished fifth in the MXGP championship that year and fourth in 2025.

At Yamaha the aim is to sustain that speed over a full season and fight for the title.

A completely redesigned team

His arrival coincides with a deep restructuring. In mid-October Yamaha announced it was ending its factory MX2 involvement and taking its MXGP team in-house. The partnership with Hans Corvers' Belgian Kemea team, which had also run the factory MXGP team since 2024, ends after 30 seasons.

• From 2027 the team comes directly under Yamaha Motor Europe;
• it operates from the new centre in Gerno di Lesmo, Italy, where Yamaha also develops its MotoGP and WorldSBK projects;
• the motorsport division is led by Andrea Dosoli.

What remains to be confirmed

The contract of Maxime Renaux, eighth in this year's championship and Gajser's team-mate, is expiring. According to MXMag, nothing is official about his future.

Key takeaways

• Rubén Fernández (27) will ride a factory Yamaha YZ450FM in MXGP in 2027;
• Tim Gajser becomes his team-mate;
• the team comes under the direct management of Yamaha Motor Europe, in Gerno di Lesmo.