Tech3 KTM boss Herve Poncharal admits that the 2022 MotoGP season has been a disappointing one for its well-credentialled rookies, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.
This weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix marks the last for those three parties together, with Fernandez off to the RNF Aprilia team and Gardner to WorldSBK to ride a GRT Yamaha.
Each has scored just 10 points from their 19 rounds in the premier class to date, meaning they are last of the full-timers in a field which includes three other rookies.
Fernandez is even being beaten to 24th in the riders’ standings on a countback by Cal Crutchlow, who has only had five starts thus far in 2022 after being called on to ride an RNF-entered Yamaha due to the early retirement of Andrea Dovizioso.
For reference, Red Bull KTM’s riders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira sit sixth and ninth respectively ahead of the final round of the year.
“Here we are in Valencia, which already marks the end of a busy 2022 season,” began Poncharal, Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Team Manager.
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“The opening round in Qatar feels like yesterday, and yet, we are about to close this season with a 20th and final race.
“If we look back at this year, we can say that neither the team nor the riders achieved what they were dreaming of.
“We had an amazing line up on paper with two exciting rookies, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez, Moto2 World Champion and Moto2 Vice-Champion [runner-up], but it did not work the way we would have all wanted.”
Even so, the Frenchman could not help but identify some positives ahead what is also the end, for now, of his own ‘Tech3’ branding in the premier class, with the squad to be known as the GasGas Factory Racing Team in 2023.
“It is always sad to finish a season, even though it has not been easy every weekend,” he added.
“We still shared some good moments with both Remy and Raul, and I think that they both learnt a lot.
“Sometimes, you learn better in tough situations, and for sure they are two better riders than they were at the start of 2022.
“Remy is moving to the WorldSBK, and I am sure that he will be fast and will achieve great things.
“Raul is staying in the MotoGP championship in 2023, and the team welcoming him will have a mature rider.
“To close this season, the dream would of course be to have our two guys in the points, but also to have them both with a smile on their faces all weekend long.
“We are going to try to give them what they are expecting and hopefully this last race will be exciting for both the riders and their teams.
“It will also be the final race in Orange for our team, and I hope that we can close this chapter on a high.”
Pol Espargaro and current Moto2 championship leader Augusto Fernandez will ride for GasGas next year.
Practice for this year’s finale at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo starts on Friday.
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