Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider finishes second at the Qatar Grand Prix, with teammate Raul Fernandez fifth in his debut race on the intermediate class.

The Losail International Circuit hosted the first round of the 2021 Moto2 World Championship season this Sunday, and the contest featured a fantastic second place finish for Remy Gardner. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider transformed the good feeling he experienced throughout the weekend into a result on race day, claiming his sixth Grand Prix podium on his first appearance for the team. Raul Fernandez earned a praiseworthy Top 5 finish in his debut GP in the intermediate class, having also fought for the podium.

Gardner made a good start from the second row of the grid and was quick to carry over his strong pace from practice into the race. He caught up with the front-runners and steadily moved his way up through the order. The Red Bull KTM Ajo’s steady ascent took him into second place by Lap 8, and with the contest leader opening up a gap, the Australian focused on establishing an advantage of his own over the chasing pack. After securing second position, Gardner now has six Moto2 podiums to his name.

In his debut race in the class, Fernandez put on a spectacular performance, which started with the Spaniard on the front row of the grid. He dropped down into fourth on the opening corner, but kept up with the leading riders and made his way into second place just a few laps in. Over the course of the contest, he would lose touch with the leader and was caught by his teammate, who overtook him. After several laps riding alone, Fernandez conceded two more positions and crossed the line in fifth.

Thanks to the results of the Qatar Grand Prix, Remy Gardner is second in the overall standings with 20 points. Raul Fernandez is fifth with 11. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo will be back at the Losail International Circuit for the second round of the Moto2 World Championship, the Doha GP, from April 2nd to 4th.

Results (Moto2 Race)

1. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 40:03.123
2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +2.260
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Kalex) +5.228
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) +5.241
5. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +6.145

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2021

1. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 25 points
2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 20 points
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Kalex) 16 points
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) 13 points
5. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 11 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“The Moto2 season started well for us. We have a good combination of experience and young talent on the team. Although Remy [Gardner] has great experience in Moto2, whilst Raul [Fernandez] is a rookie, we saw today that both are ready to get into the fight. I think that Remy will be one of the riders challenging for the top positions in the World Championship at the end of the year, whilst Raul will keep improving and adapting. He has already taken some giant steps in the last few weeks.”

87 REMY GARDNER

“It was a tough Sunday, as we had to work hard from the start of the race. However, we had a good pace, and we were fast. The strong wind made overtaking difficult, as the bike was moving a lot and it was not an easy task to move up the field. When I passed Raul [Fernandez] and got into second, I did my best to try to catch up with the leader, but he was putting in a fast pace. I got a little closer by the end, and I thought that maybe I could reel him in, but with six laps to go I decided that it was better not to risk losing everything. We have a podium to start the year and a good handful of points. Now it’s time to focus on next week, when we will give one hundred percent to get another great result.”

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“I’m very happy. It was a dream debut for me. We were so close to the podium, but to get a Top 5 finish at our first race is a great result. Now we have another week in which to continue working, and we know where we need to improve. I’m proud of the team I have behind me; we did a good job and today’s result was only possible thanks to them. I also want to thank my family.”