Gardner caught by surprise by KTM’s efforts to keep Oliveira

Remy Gardner says he had no knowledge of KTM’s bid to retain Miguel Oliveira after all, an endeavour which threatens his future in MotoGP.

The 2021 Moto2 champion had been thought fairly likely to stay on at Tech3 in 2023, although it had emerged recently that the Austrian marque is also looking at promoting current Moto2 championship leader Augusto Fernandez.

However, in a bombshell revelation from KTM Motorsports Director Pit Beirer at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, there are efforts to hold on to Oliveira.

The four-time MotoGP race winner had taken umbrage at the prospect of a demotion from the works Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad to Tech3, notwithstanding that his alternatives are/were other manufacturers’ satellite teams.

Now, it has been confirmed that Tech3 will be branded as GasGas Factory Racing from next year, and Beirer thinks that could tempt Oliveira to stay.

With Jack Miller joining Brad Binder at Red Bull KTM, and Pol Espargaro returning to the family at GasGas, Gardner could quite easily be ousted.

It is news which was a surprise to the 24-year-old Sydney-born rider.

“This is the first time I’m hearing about it,” he said during Round 13 of the season at the Red Bull Ring.

“I don’t even know what to say. I’ve got no news.

“I just need to keep my head down and that’s it. Do the best I can.”

According to Oliveira, no fresh proposal has yet come his way as at the end of Friday practice, although he was hardly dismissive of the idea either.

The Portuguese had previously stated he was in talks with Ducati team Gresini Racing, which went on to announce the renewal of Fabio Di Giannantonio and new signing of current Honda man Alex Marquez.

Oliveira then came to be regarded as a likely recruit for RNF Racing in its first year as Aprilia’s satellite squad, as is Tech3 incumbent Raul Fernandez.

The latter’s departure from the KTM ranks has now been confirmed by its Beirer, who explained on the television world feed after Free Practice 3 this weekend that he had in fact asked to leave back at the Spanish Grand Prix at the end of April.

Gardner and Fernandez have qualified 22nd and 23rd respectively for the Austrian MotoGP race.

The former’s fastest lap was, unofficially, his last of Qualifying 1, but a track limits breach meant it did not count and #87 effectively lost three positions as a result.

“Of course, I am disappointed about my lap cancellation because it would have been a good lap,” said Gardner.

“Our pace is not so bad, but it is not amazing either. We have room to improve and go a bit faster.

“I look forward to the race tomorrow and I think that we can have a good one. Full gas!”

Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini qualified on pole while the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller helped make it a Bologna bullet front row lockout by claiming third on the grid.

Race start is scheduled for Sunday at 22:00 AEST.