At the famous Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto on the 18-19 November, where the latest crop of MotoGP™ stars officially began their 2022 campaigns, three-time World Champion Dani Pedrosa was lending a helping hand to Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s rookies – Moto2™ World Champion Remy Gardner and 2021 sensation Raul Fernandez.
Test rider Pedrosa was in Jerez – a circuit he’s won at four times in his career – testing for KTM. However, when he wasn’t riding, the much-adored Spaniard was casting a watchful eye trackside, and coming back to Gardner and Fernandez’ garage to give the two rookies some valuable advice.
Gardner and Fernandez got their legs over KTM’s RC16 at the Misano Test for a few shakedown laps, in readiness for the first Official Test in Jerez. And in Andalucia, the pair finished P20 and P22 – less than a tenth apart – and under two seconds from pacesetter Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). A very solid opening couple of days.
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After the two-day test that brought the curtain down on 2021’s track action, Tech3 boss Herve Poncharal was full of praise for Pedrosa’s help with his two new men.
“I would like to thank Dani Pedrosa as well for his role as a test rider, but also as an adviser. He came to see our riders after having been on the service road watching them and every single bit of advice he gave them was very important and very helpful,” said Poncharal.
“So, we are finally done. We can all go home with the feeling that this is mission accomplished. Now it’s up to the brains inside the KTM Factory Racing department to sharpen our 2022 weapons, but I’ve got all trust in them,” continued Poncharal, as the paddock heads into the winter break before testing resumes in Sepang on the 31st of January.