Beñat Fernández
| Beñat Fernández | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Spanish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 November 2007 Andoain, Spain[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Beñat Fernández Etxeberria[2] (born 19 November 2007), nicknamed "Pelontxu", is a Spanish motorcycle racer. In October 2025 he was crowned winner of the 2025 Supersport 300 World Championship with Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove.[3] He also competed in the 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season and is set to stay in the same category for 2026.[4]
Fernández is managed and mentored by Efrén Vázquez, former Grand Prix motorcycle racer.[5]
Career
Early career
Fernández was born in Andoain, Spain. He started riding motorbikes at the age of four, after his father Imanol, a motorcycle enthusiast, gave him one as a present. He competed in national minibike categories from a young age and claimed several victories.[6][7][8]
For 2022, Fernández competed in the European Talent Cup for Austin Racing VHC Team. He clinched 15th place at Valencia, which gave him his first points in the class. He neared the points throughout the rest of the season and finished 31st overall in his debut year.[9]
Fernández remained in the European Talent Cup for 2023 with the same team. He gradually improved his results, with a best personal finish in ninth place at Portimão and Barcelona.[10][11] His final position in the standings was 16th. In 2024, Fernández faced his last season in the European Talent Cup, where he finished consistently in the top ten. His best result was a fourth place at Estoril, narrowly missing out on the podium spots.[12] At the end of the year, Fernández was selected to participate in the 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, along with seven other riders.[13]
Fernández had a strong 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup debut season, where he clinched two podiums and won the second race of the Le Mans round in wet conditions, with a big gap behind him.[14][15] He finished sixth overall in the final standings. He also entered two rounds of the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship with Eagle-1 Team. He finished 11th at Magny-Cours and then 11th and 10th at Motorland Aragón.
Supersport 300 World Championship
That same year, Fernández made the step up to the Supersport 300 World Championship with Kove. In his debut round at Portimão, he claimed pole position and won Race 2, after finishing fourth in Race 1.[16][17] He secured his second win at Misano Race 2, after having finished in third and second place in the previous round at Most.[18][19] He was crowned champion at the final round at Jerez where he finished first in front of championship contenders Thompson and Salvador.[3]
Career statistics
European Talent Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Honda | EST DNQ |
EST DNQ |
VAL 19 |
VAL 15 |
BAR 20 |
JER 21 |
JER 19 |
ALG DNQ |
ARA 16 |
ARA Ret |
VAL 21 |
31st | 1 |
| 2023 | Honda | EST 10 |
EST 12 |
VAL 16 |
VAL 11 |
JER 17 |
JER 11 |
ALG 9 |
BAR 9 |
ARA Ret |
ARA 23 |
VAL Ret |
16th | 34 |
| 2024 | Honda | MIS 11 |
MIS Ret |
EST Ret |
EST 9 |
BAR 12 |
ALG 9 |
JER 8 |
JER 10 |
ARA 5 |
ARA 5 |
EST 4 |
7th | 72 |
FIM JuniorGP World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | KTM | EST | JER1 | JER2 | MAG 11 |
ARA1 11 |
ARA2 10 |
MIS1 | MIS2 | CAT1 | CAT2 | VAL1 | VAL2 | 19th | 16 |
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos | Pts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 2025 | KTM | JER 6 |
JER 5 |
LMS 5 |
LMS 1 |
ARA Ret |
ARA 10 |
MUG 10 |
MUG 3 |
SAC 7 |
SAC 8 |
RBR 16 |
RBR 6 |
MIS Ret |
MIS 8 |
6th | 120 |
| 2026 | KTM | JER | JER | LMS | LMS | MUG | MUG | ASS | ASS | SAC | SAC | MIS | MIS | RBR | RBR | NC | 0 |
Supersport 300 World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos | Pts | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 2025 | Kove | POR 4 |
POR 1 |
ASS 5 |
ASS 5 |
MOS 3 |
MOS 2 |
MIS 4 |
MIS 1 |
MAG 11 |
MAG 5 |
ARA 3 |
ARA 10 |
EST 4 |
EST 2 |
JER 15 |
JER 1 |
1st | 231 |
Sportbike World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos | Pts | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 2026 | Kove | POR |
POR |
NED |
NED |
CZE |
CZE |
ARA |
ARA |
EMI |
EMI |
FRA |
FRA |
ITA |
ITA |
SPA |
SPA |
NC | 0 |
References
- ^ "Gran experiencia de Beñat Fernández en Assen" diariovasco.sergipeconectado.com (in Spanish), 16 April 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Beñat Fernández Etxeberria 'Pelontxu': «En Assen hay que pensar mucho para llegar delante en la última curva»" diariovasco.com (in Spanish), 20 April 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Rookie sensation Fernandez takes 2025 WorldSSP300 crown". worldsbk.com. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ @efrenvazquezmotoacademy7; (15 September 2025). "Nos complace anunciar que nuestro piloto Beñat Fernández estará un año mas en la RedBull Rookies Cup en 2026". Retrieved 1 October 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Benat Fernandez and Team 109 Kove: breathtaking victory in Misano and world leadership!". kovemoto.it. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Beñat Fernández, un pequeño piloto de motos con grandes aspiraciones " diariovasco.com (in Spanish), 31 January 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Beñat Fernández gana en la Cup Dani Rivas" motogp.com (in Spanish), 26 September 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Beñat Fernandez "Pelontxu" Espainiako motoen 85 cc mailan txapeldunorde" aiurri.eus (in Basque), 16 November 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "El piloto Beñat Fernández, 'Pelontxu', contará con patrocinio municipal" diariovasco.com (in Spanish), 27 September 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Bujosa dará el salto a JuniorGP en la prueba catalana de la Talent Cup" vhcracingteam.com (in Spanish), 12 July 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "European Talent Cup 2023: Calendario, pilotos, equipos, españoles y cinco favoritos" motociclismo.es (in Spanish), 7 May 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "European Talent Cup 2024: Calendario, pilotos, equipos, españoles y cinco favoritos" motociclismo.es (in Spanish), 21 April 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "8 New riders from the world to Guadix to the 2025 Rookies Cup". redbull.com. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Beñat Fernandez wins Rookies Cup Le Mans Race 2 with rain masterclass". superbike-news.co.uk. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "RECAP Beñat Fernandez wins Rookies Cup Le Mans Race 2 with rain masterclass". redbull.com. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Debut pole for Fernandez in WorldSSP300". superbike-news.co.uk. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Fernandez delivers the win for KOVE". superbike-news.co.uk. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Double WorldSSP300 Podium in Most For Benat Fernandez, Now P3 Overall". team109.ie. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Beñat Fernández se impone a Julio García para ganar la carrera 2 de Supersport 300" super7moto.com (in Spanish), 15 June 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
External links
- Beñat Fernández at WorldSBK.com