Tech 3 gasses up for 2023 MotoGP season, Espargaro returns to KTM fold – Motorsport Week

KTM has announced that satellite team Tech 3 will be Gas Gas for 2023, with Pol Espargaro rejoining the team with an as yet unannounced teammate.

The Austrian brand acquired Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Gas Gas in 2020. The marque has achieved the lion’s share of success, mainly in motocross and cross-country rallies, and this year it took first victory in the grueling Dakar rally against British rider Sam Sunderland. He has also campaigned in Moto2 and Moto3 with the Aspar team for the past two years.

KTM has now chosen to bring GasGas into MotoGP competition, with major satellite team Tech 3 set to be rebranded as the GasGas factory operation – ditching the orange branding that has adorned the RC16’s for the past two years in favor of GasGas’ signature red.

In the year Espargaro – who rode with the KTM factory outfit for four seasons until joining Honda’s official operation in 2021 – has long been tipped to switch to the Austrian marque after a spell at upstart Japanese manufacturer Honda. The following year, the signing of Suzuki’s refugee Joan Mir to Marc Marquez.

The current low is 17^Th The Cavaliers have just 42 points from the opening 12 races, three less than LCR Takaki Nakagami and 18 behind Márquez, despite missing the last four games through injury, only Espargaro’s top five of the year. He finished third in the opening race of the year in Qatar.

In the year Espargaro, who scored KTM’s first premier class podium result at Valencia in 2018, scored a total of five rostrums in the Covid-19-shortened 2020 season, placing him a best fifth in the riders’ championship, before replacing Alex Marquez with six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Le. 21.

The second seat looks set to be decided between current Tech 3 starter Remy Gardner and factory KTM rider Miguel Oliveira. KTM Motorsport director said the brand is keen to keep Miguel in the family, despite the Portuguese rider closing his deal with the RNF outfit.

Fernández’s tussle with KTM appears to be at an end following the announcement by Tech3 that the 2021 Moto2 vice-champion could land at the RNF team for the first time as an Aprilia satellite team, although a return to Moto2 could be a possibility if the move fails.