IN
THE
WIND
P50
Tech 3 will be GasGas' factory
race-team effort in MotoGP.
T
ech 3 will become the Gas-
Gas Factory Racing Team
in the 2023 MotoGP World
Championship. A majority share
of the GasGas brand—previ-
ously successful in the off-road
discipline—was acquired by
KTM in 2019. Since then, it has
attempted to increase visibility
by rebranding KTM machinery
in Moto3 as GasGas, as well
as an entry in Moto2 as the
GasGas team, despite running
Kalex chassis, with the Aspar
team running the GasGas logos
in both cases.
Like in Moto3, Tech 3's
machinery will be a KTM RC16,
identical to the bikes run by the
Red Bull KTM Factory Team.
Essentially, the setup will be the
same as this year. But instead
of orange, Tech 3 boss Herve
Poncharal's bikes will run red.
Pol Espargaro will be the lead
rider with the second seat still to
be decided.
CN
Gardner Out of KTM
R
emy Gardner confirmed he will not remain in Tech3's
MotoGP squad in 2023 after KTM management
informed him they no longer require his services.
The reigning Moto2 World Champion was clearly
downbeat after the Austrian race. "In MotoGP, it doesn't
look like there's anything [for me next year]," he said.
"KTM's done it again!"
While Gardner's results have fell below expectations in
2023, he is far from alone. The Australian is comfortably
outperforming teammate Raul Fernandez by four points.
Also, all of KTM's contenders have struggled this year on an RC16 that has been far from competitive.
Yet rather than performances, it appears comments regarding the bike are what turned KTM bosses
against the 24-year-old. A particular line from the French GP ("If a tornado wants to rip up the track and
we go home early, that'd be good") which underlined the uncompetitive nature of the bike and did not
go down well with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer, according to one factory insider.
Miguel Oliveira or Augusto Fernandez could replace him at Tech3.
Neil Morrison
GasGas to
Partner With
Tech3 in
MotoGP
Not even a year into his contract, Remy
Gardner was notified he will not be at
Tech3 next year.
PHOTO: GOLD & GOOSE
