Remy Gardner MotoGP reprieve as Miguel Oliveira chooses RNF Aprilia
Miguel Oliveira rejects KTM's last ditch attempt to retain him at GASGAS Racing for the 2023 MotoGP season; good news for Remy Gardner?
Remy Gardner looks set to get a stay of execution at the rebranded GASGAS Racing team for the 2023 MotoGP World Championship after it was confirmed Miguel Oliveira has accepted an offer to join RNF Racing Aprilia alongside Raul Fernandez.
Gardner said his MotoGP future was ‘not looking good’ last time out at the Austrian MotoGP after reports emerged that KTM had launched a last gasp bid to retain Oliveira at its Tech 3 Racing run satellite squad.
However, despite offering the four-time MotoGP race winner a long-term deal - understood to be three years - to remain within the KTM fold, Oliveira has opted for the original deal from RNF Racing, which will switch from Yamaha to Aprilia machinery for the 2023 MotoGP season.
Oliveira's signing was announced together with Raul Fernandez - team-mate to Gardner at Tech 3 KTM - today.
It means Gardner looks likely to retain his ride for 2023 alongside Pol Espargaro, when the team adopts a new name and livery to reflect KTM’s decision to use its Spanish GASGAS brand.
That said, it remains to be seen whether the Australian - who was only informed of bosses’ latest offer to Oliveira from the media - and his relationship with the Austrian firm will have deteriorated as a result of KTM’s clandestine tactics.
Moto2 World Champion in 2021, it has been a tough maiden MotoGP campaign for Gardner who - along with fellow rookie team-mate and Moto2 title rival Fernandez - has struggled with lacklustre KTM RC16 machinery, leaving them well adrift of fellow graduates Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giannantonio.
That said, Gardner’s seat might not be entirely safe with some talk KTM might promote its leading Moto2 title contender Adrian Fernandez persisting.
How is the rest of the 2023 MotoGP grid looking?
Following confirmation from Ducati that Enea Bastianini will join its factory set up in 2023 - meaning Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco will form an unchanged rider line-up at Pramac Racing - the confirmation of Oliveira and Fernandez at RNF Aprilia, means just GASGAS and Honda have a seat remaining for next season.
With Joan Mir confirmed with Repsol Honda, the remaining seat at LCR alongside alongside Alex Rins, it is understood Honda has had a change of heart by retaining Takaaki Nakagami over its Moto2 leading protege Ai Ogura.
With the Japanese firm struggling for competitiveness with its latest evolution RC213V package, it is reasoned Honda will prefer to keep experienced Nakagami on the bike to assist with development and shield hot talent Ogura from graduating on a potentially slow bike.
