Moto2/3: Raul Fernandez to move to Moto2 replacing Nagashima, Acosta to step up
Raul Fernandez will move to the Moto2 class for 2021 replacing Tetsuta Nagashima in the Ajo team, Fernandez will be replaced by Pedro Acosta.
Following his win at Qatar this season, Tetsuta Nagashima has majorly struggled, finishing a lot of his races outside of the top 10, not meeting the expectations set by his win at Qatar. These results have forced the hand of the Red Bull KTM Ajo team to replace him with Raul Fernandez.
Fernandez had originally signed for the 2021 Moto3 season, but at 177cm, he is one of the tallest riders in the class which is proving to be a disadvantage, therefore the decision was made to replace Nagashima with Fernandez in the Moto2 team, Fernandez will pair up with Remy Gardner in the team for 2021.
This leaves the Moto3 seat next to Jaume Masia wide open. With Artigas signed to Leopard and Izan Guevara an Aspar rider, it made sense to hire the current Red Bull Rookies champion Pedro Acosta, he has won nearly every race this season, not to mention his CEV performances in 2020 have been outstanding, fighting with Artigas for the title for the majority of the season, however, 2 x DNF’s have stopped his title progress, he eventually finished in P3 overall in the standings.
It is worth mentioning that Acosta had a deal to race for the Prustel Moto3 team for 2021, the team were to merge with Acosta’s CEV Moto3 team, the Fundacion Andreas 77 Team, however over the last week there has been rumours of this partnership collapsing which opens the door for the Ajo move.
Raul Fernandez – Rider: “I want to thank the whole team, KTM, Red Bull and, above all, Aki for believing in me. It is an important step in my sporting career, and I am very happy to continue growing with this structure. It is a great opportunity that I know I will enjoy a lot, alongside some incredible people. This is a new stage, which brings me closer to every rider’s dream: to be in MotoGP. Red Bull KTM Ajo are the best team in Moto2, so this announcement is an honour for me. I only have words of thanks for them and for my family, who have always been by my side supporting me.”
Pedro Acosta – Rider: “It’s incredible to receive this opportunity from Red Bull, KTM and Ajo Motorsport. I want to thank all of them. For me, being on this team means being part of the best Moto3 team around. It will be my first year in the World Championship, so we will have to wait for the first race to see where we are and set realistic goals then. During the first half of the season, we will have to focus our efforts on adapting to the workload, as it will be different to what I am used to in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and in the FIM CEV. I am going to do my best to make this learning process fruitful.”
Featured image – www.motogp.com
