Tech3 seeking to move on from Moto3 pit lane incident

Tech3 Racing is looking to move on from a controversial Moto3 pit lane incident at Aragon after accepting the Max Racing Team’s apology.

Two Max crew members have been banned for two rounds and fined after impeding Adrian Fernandez’s exit from his pit box during Qualifying 2 at the Aragon Grand Prix.

The incident prompted an apology from team owner Max Biaggi, via social media and personally to Fernandez, and he also vowed to punish the offending personnel further than the FIM stewards have.

Ironically, Biaggi’s squad, known commercially as ‘Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max’, is the factory team of the Swedish marque, while Tech3 is currently a KTM team in all three tiers of grand prix competition, and will be elevated to GasGas Factory Racing status in MotoGP next year.

The two outfits are thus part of an extended family in so much that KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas are Pierer Mobility Group brands.

“Following the incident which occurred on Saturday in the Moto3 Q2 with Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing, a fellow Pierer Mobility AG team, we have highly appreciated the apologies coming from both Max Biaggi and [Team Manager] Peter Öttl for the behaviour of their staff members,” began a series of tweets from Tech3.

“In no case riders Ayumu Sasaki and John McPhee were held responsible, and they are two men for whom Tech3 KTM Factory Racing / Red Bull KTM Tech3 have a lot of respect.

“A sanction has now been given to the concerned people, and we would like to close this unpleasant chapter, and go back to what we all love doing, racing.”

Following the incident which occurred on Saturday in the Moto3 Q2 with Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing, a fellow Pierer Mobility AG team, we have highly appreciated the apologies coming from both Max Biaggi and Peter Öttl for the behaviour of their staff members (1/3).

— Tech3 Racing (@Tech3Racing) September 19, 2022

The offending crew members will be allowed to work at Japan’s Motegi this weekend and Thailand’s Buriram the next, given the short notice and prevailing immigration restrictions.

Their suspensions will take effect for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island and the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, towards the end of October.

Sasaki finished second and McPhee 10th at Aragon while Tech3’s Deniz Öncü took fourth and Fernandez fifth, the latter from 15th on the starting grid.