VOL. 53 ISSUE 35 SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 P43
REMY GARDNER
TO TECH3 MOTO2
S
on of champion Wayne
Gardner, Remy Gardner
will replace Isaac Vinales in the
France-based Tech3 Moto2
team next year, riding the in-
house Mistral 610, one of only
a handful of non-Kalex-framed
Moto2 bikes.
The signing was confirmed on
race day at Silverstone, ending
a season of uncertainty when
the 20-year-old Australian had
only returned midseason on a
race-by-race basis.
"Basically Herve [Poncharal,
team owner] came around and
asked if we were interested. Of
course the answer was yes,"
said Gardner, whose father was
a heroic first-ever Australian
premier-class
champion in 1987.
Negotiations had started
two weeks ago at Brno, Gard-
ner confirmed, adding: "The
pressure is off now, but that
doesn't mean I won't be trying
as hard as possible."
Remy, whose racing number
"87" reflects the year of his
father's 500cc championship,
made a full-time debut in Moto3
last year, and had been signed
for the AGP Moto2 team, which
collapsed before the season
began.
Returning to the Spanish
CEV series, he won a race,
but was drafted into the Tasca
team to replace the underper-
forming Alessandro Tonucci at
round seven in Catalunya. He
was in the points first time out.
He scored again in Germany,
finishing 12th, but remained on a
race-by-race contract.
In a team statement, Gardner
said, "The Mistral 610 is different
compared to what most other
guys are riding in Moto2, but
everyone is looking for that extra
edge now. When I watch the bike
out on the track, I can see that it
has very good potential."
Michael Scott
Remy Gardner
is making his
own name and
is headed to
Tech3 in 2017.
VERMEULEN HAPPY WITH SUZUKI WIN
F
ormer MotoGP rider Chris Vermeulen is de-
lighted his old team took its first victory since
2007, when the Australian won a sodden race at
Le Mans, in what was to be his only victory in the
premier class.
Vermeulen's honor as Suzuki's last winner came
to an end at Silverstone, when series sophomore
Maverick Vinales put on a masterful display in
cool but dry conditions to take victory over Cal
Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi.
"It's good, actually," Vermeulen said on Australian
Fox Sports of finally losing the tag of Suzuki's most
recent winner. "They put a lot of money into this
championship, they were out for a little while and
have come back in. They've got a great team, they've
got two very good riders and now a motorbike that is
very competitive and competitive in all conditions."
The win marked only the fourth time since 2000
that Suzuki has stood atop the podium in MotoGP,
thanks to riders Kenny Roberts Jr., Sete Gibernau,
Vermeulen and Maverick Vinales. CN
Chris Vermeulen powers to his only
GP win at Le Mans in 2007.
