Fernández made his Grand Prix debut at the 2017 Italian Grand Prix as a replacement for Axel Bassani in the Speed Up team, scoring six points across the remainder of that season. For 2018 he joined Pons Racing after Héctor Barberá was dismissed from the squad, immediately making an impression by scoring points in his first four races and finishing as high as fourth at Motegi.
His breakout season came in 2019. After a heavy crash during Saturday practice in Argentina fractured both wrists and sidelined him for two rounds, Fernández returned to claim his first Moto2 podium at Jerez and followed it the very next weekend with another third at Le Mans. He took pole position in Barcelona and converted his form into his maiden Moto2 victory at Assen after the two race leaders — Álex Márquez and Lorenzo Baldassarri — collided while fighting for the lead. He added victories at Silverstone and Misano to finish fifth in the championship with 207 points.
Fernández moved to Marc VDS Racing for 2020, inheriting the seat vacated by Moto2 champion Álex Márquez. The season proved difficult; he failed to reach the podium and ended the year thirteenth with 71 points. He rebuilt his reputation in 2021, collecting six podiums in the final ten races — including second in Rimini — to finish fifth again in the standings with 174 points.
Signed by the premier Moto2 outfit Red Bull KTM Ajo for 2022, Fernández delivered the standout campaign of his intermediate-class career. He won four races during the season and built a consistent enough points tally to claim the Moto2 Riders' World Championship, defeating Japanese rival Ai Ogura to the title. The championship validated years of near-miss performances and earned him a direct promotion to the premier MotoGP class.
Fernández made his MotoGP debut in 2023 with GasGas Factory Racing Tech3, partnering Pol Espargaró. His best result of the season came at the French Grand Prix, where he qualified twelfth and charged to fourth at the flag — the closest he came to a points windfall in an otherwise difficult maiden premier-class year.
For 2024 the team was rebranded Red Bull GasGas Tech3, and Fernández was partnered with highly touted rookie Pedro Acosta. He accumulated 27 championship points across the season and finished twentieth overall. With KTM electing not to retain him for 2025, Fernández's MotoGP seat came to an end after two seasons.
Fernández announced before any official confirmation from Yamaha that he would become a factory test rider for the Japanese manufacturer from 2025, with provision for up to six wildcard race appearances per season. He stepped in as a race substitute for the injured Miguel Oliveira at Pramac Racing at the Americas, Qatar, and Spanish Grands Prix during 2025, recording a thirteenth-place finish in the United States. In September 2025, Yamaha confirmed that Fernández would continue in the test rider role through the 2026 and 2027 seasons, underlining the manufacturer's confidence in his technical development work.
Fernández represents the pathway from the European junior championships to world-level success that defines the modern Grand Prix ladder. His 2022 title was earned on the most competitive Moto2 machinery available and required him to overcome a challenger — Ogura — widely regarded as one of the strongest of his generation. Though his MotoGP results were modest, his subsequent transition to a test role with a manufacturer of Yamaha's stature signals a respected technical acumen alongside his riding credentials.
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