Gardner To Step Up To MotoGP With Tech 3 KTM In 2022
Gardner to step up to MotoGP with Tech 3 KTM in 2022
Remy Gardner will make his MotoGP debut in 2022 after signing with the Tech 3 KTM team.
The current Moto2 world champion will stay with KTM to make his premier class debut, while also returning to Tech 3 after competing for the French team in the intermediate class in 2017 and 2018.
Gardner, who won his first Moto2 race of the 2021 season last time out in Mugello, will also follow in the footsteps of his father Wayne, who won the 1987 500cc world championship during a top-class career that spanned 1983 to 1992.
Gardner is understandably overjoyed with the deal, as it secures his MotoGP future and frees him up to compete for this year's Moto2 world championship.
“I'm overjoyed that KTM has provided me with this opportunity. It's a dream come true for me and everything we've worked for," Gardner, who currently leads the Moto2 standings by six points, said. “This is an incredible opportunity for me, and I can't wait to get on the bike.
“I just want to express my gratitude to KTM for believing in me. At the moment, our focus must be on successfully completing 2021. I'd also like to thank everyone who has helped me get to MotoGP. We've only just begun.”
Gardner is also the latest rider from KTM's rider academy to reach MotoGP, following current KTM MotoGP factory riders Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder. Binder signed a new three-year deal with the factory KTM squad on Tuesday that will keep him with the team until the end of 2024.
“Bringing Remy to MotoGP next season is a real pleasure for us because we knew about his speed and ability in Moto2, and he has confirmed that potential,” Pit Beirer, KTM's motorsport director, said.
“We believe he has a lot more to offer and it's critical he has this opportunity to continue growing. Remy is your stereotypical racer. He is a tenacious individual who never surrenders. He's an exciting prospect, and we're looking forward to collaborating with him in this next phase.
“Once again, we demonstrate that the KTM GP Academy can provide the right opportunity for riders who want to compete at the highest level.”
Gardner's signing with Tech 3 for 2022 means that either Iker Lecuona or Danilo Petrucci will depart the team at the end of this season.
Lecuona joined Tech 3 following the conclusion of the 2019 MotoGP season, while Petrucci joined from Ducati's factory team earlier this year.
“While we are fully committed to our 2021 campaign, having completed six races and finishing second and third in the last two rounds, we must also consider our future,” Herve Poncharal, Tech 3 team manager, said.
“As Winston Churchill once said, to govern is to anticipate, and I believe we should consider what might be the ideal line-up for 2022.
“With Red Bull and KTM, we have an incredible tool, starting with the Rookies Cup and progressing to the Moto3 world championship teams and, of course, the official Moto2 team, and it was critical to secure Remy Gardner, who is currently leading the Moto2 world championship after a very smart victory at Mugello.
In conclusion
“It was prudent and just to secure him and provide him with the opportunity to fulfill his dream of riding in MotoGP. We are extremely proud, delighted, and confident in welcoming Remy. We believe he will be an excellent addition to the KTM MotoGP line-up, and I believe that making this decision will allow Remy to concentrate entirely on his Moto2 world championship, while also allowing us, the Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing Team, to concentrate on our 2021 season.”
