The energy drink brand had sponsored the factory Honda team, its departure coinciding with that of Marc Marquez to Gresini Racing.
What is now Red Bull GasGas Tech3 is this year fielding the two most recent Moto2 champions, namely Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez, the former of whom is being spoken of as the ‘new Marquez’.
So keen was the KTM group to promote him to MotoGP and fend off raids from rival manufacturers that it had five contracted riders for four seats, with Pol Espargaro shifted to testing duties while Brad Binder and Jack Miller remaining at the KTM factory team.
The 2023 season was Tech3’s first as the GasGas squad, with fourth in the French Grand Prix being the highlight for Fernandez on his way to 17th in the standings.
GasGas Motorsport Director Pit Beirer said, “2023 was a very intense year for our first season with GasGas on the grid but Augusto came in with a great approach – he is super-positive and a fighter – and gave us a highlight in Le Mans with his fourth position.
“I feel the team adapted really well over the whole season and I’m looking forward to seeing what Augusto can do in his second go.
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“With Pedro, I think the whole paddock and community agrees that there is a diamond coming up in this sport.
“He is a very special rider, a unique rider who has already broken so many records at a young age.
“Pedro will make us better and stronger for the future, so we are happy to have him.
“I feel GasGas is a very dynamic brand, and looking to the team spirit with these two fantastic athletes it is definitely the one to watch out for in ’24.”
Acosta has had a rapid rise to the premier class, winning the Moto3 World Championship as a rookie in 2021 before adding the intermediate class title last year.
The 19-year-old Spaniard said, “If I think about my career and journey so far then it is quite nice.
“Nice to say I had the opportunity to ride for a factory team in my first season, nice to say I won two titles in three years, it is nice to say I come into a factory team for the first season in MotoGP.
“But it is also quite tough to play with the pressure, to play with the comments.
“I don’t want to think about results at the moment. I just have one day on the bike [Valencia post-season test], and it is not the time to talk about results or targets because it is not realistic.
“I will try to enjoy the Malaysia test and try to get as much experience as I can to try and be competitive at the beginning of the season but during that we also need to take race experience to grow step-by-step.”
Fernandez commented, “Everything was new and there was a lot to learn last year but there were points towards the end of the season where I felt fast and like I had the speed.
“I felt comfortable riding the bike but as a rookie you had to be very patient and trust the process.
“When I finished 2023, I analysed the season and saw I had made the steps I needed to take.
“I am looking forward to this year because I now have the references of each track with the GasGas RC16 and I know on Fridays we need to put a lot of input because it can decide much of the weekend.
“I’m super-proud to be partnering with Red Bull, and to have them on the bike.
“It’s a dream and we have everything we need to perform. It’s in our hands so let’s go for it.”
Red Bull has in fact been Tech3’s title sponsor previously, as recently as 2020.
It had also backed Honda since 2015, a partnership which is no more, and that team is reportedly haggling with Repsol over its livery because of the Spanish petroleum company’s reduced financial commitment in the wake of Marquez’s exit.
As a rookie, Acosta is eligible for the Shakedown Test which takes place at Sepang on February 1-3.
IMAGES: 2024 GasGas Tech3 MotoGP livery
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