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The second seat at the rebranded Tech3 GasGas squad for 2023 has been up for grabs for some time, with Fernandez – no relation to current Tech3 rider Raul Fernandez – strongly linked to the ride.
This was only heightened when Remy Gardner told media at the San Marino Grand Prix that he was informed by KTM there was no place for him at Tech3 for not “being professional enough”.
Reported by Autosport last week, KTM has now officially announced current Moto2 standings leader Fernandez will ride for Tech3 in 2023.
“Wow, this is amazing: to be able to make the jump to MotoGP with GASGAS,” Fernandez said.
“I want to thank everyone in the racing structure around me for all their support since I signed with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team last year.
“I’m really happy. It’s a dream.
“We still have work to do in Moto2 and I want to go for the title and go to the MotoGP class – and this next challenge - in the best possible way.”
Augusto Fernandez, Red Bull KTM Ajo
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Tech3 boss Herve Poncharal says he has been interested in Fernandez for some time and wanted to bring him to MotoGP two years ago.
“I have been following Augusto for a few seasons now and we already discussed moving up to the higher class two years ago but he was not ready yet for the big jump,” Poncharal said.
“When we met again recently, it appeared very clear that he was prepared to come to MotoGP.
“I am excited about next season because our garage will have a mix of experience and youth through Pol and Augusto.
“They are both Spanish and will work in a positive and constructive way and this is what we have been looking for.
“Welcome to MotoGP Augusto, keep calm and focus on your Moto2 championship. We will be waiting for you in our garage on Tuesday following the Valencia GP for your first MotoGP test.”
Fernandez has won four races in Moto2 this year with Ajo KTM and leads the standings by four points.
Gardner will move to World Superbikes next year with Yamaha after signing a deal to join GRT, while Raul Fernandez will move across to RNF Aprilia.
Earlier this week Honda confirmed Takaaki Nakagami will remain with LCR for 2023, while the VR46 duo of Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi will stay put.
Husqvarna will be represented in the Moto2 World Championship for the first time next season after agreeing a partnership with Intact GP and hiring soon-to-be-ex-MotoGP rider Darryn Binder.
While the Swedish manufacturer is historically associated with rally raid and motocross competition, it returned to short circuit racing in 2020 with a Moto3 entry using a rebranded version of the KTM RC250GP.
A stablemate of KTM and GASGAS - which are also owned by the Pierer Mobility Group - Husqvarna is following the track of the latter brand, which made its Moto3 debut in 2020, before progressing to Moto2 this season. GASGAS will now enter MotoGP full-time next season as the branded partner of the Tech 3 Racing team using KTM machinery.
Unlike its Moto3 effort, however, Husqvarna’s move to Moto2 will be predominantly branding only now KTM no longer supplies its chassis to customer teams. However, KTM has retained a significant presence in Moto2 as the primary backer of the multiple title-winning Ajo Motorsport team.
Having competed alongside Max Biaggi Racing in Moto3, Husqvarna will for 2023 be hooking up with the German IntactGP squad in both classes.
While IntactGP have been racing with Marcel Schrotter and Jeremy Alcoba in Moto2, for 2023 line-up will comprise of Binder and Lukas Tulovic, while in Moto3 Ayumi Sasaki - a two-time race winner this season - stays on board, together with Dutch rookie Colin Veijer.
Though hugely experienced at GP level, this will be Binder’s first season of Moto2 competition having made the unusual step of reaching MotoGP straight from Moto3.
Competing with the RNF Yamaha squad, though the South African - younger brother of KTM MotoGP race winner Brad Binder - faced criticism at the time of his signing, he has arguably performed above expectations having secured a top ten finish in only his second start, while he has out-scored fellow rookies Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.
Team-mate Tulovic, meanwhile, returns to Moto2 three years on from his first and only season in the intermediate class. The German rider has since gone on to win a race in MotoE and was recently crowned European Moto2 Champion.
“Finally we have been able to grow the white and blue from Moto3 to Moto2 and I cannot be happier with our new partners to take Husqvarna Motorcycles into the next era,” Jens Hainbach, Husqvarna Motorcycles Head of Sports Management Road Racing.
“2022 has been a breakthrough in Moto3 and it’s fantastic that we will continue on a solid foundation with Peter’s expertise. Jürgen knows Moto2 better than most and, overall, we believe our mix of riders for the brand combine a lot of potential and youth. It’s a strong group package and I want to thank everyone involved for bringing this all together.”