Unstoppable Fernandez claims third win of the season at Assen

27/06/2021

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rookie heads the team’s fourth one-two finish of the 2021 season, with Remy Gardner in second place.

 

Raul Fernandez capped a flawless weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix with a win from the pole position, also setting the fastest lap of the race. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider keeps up a brilliant series of results in his rookie Moto2 season, with his third victory of 2021 so far – the fifth of his career. Remy Gardner took a hard fought second place, as the team made it four one-two finishes this campaign.

Fernandez started the Dutch Grand Prix from pole position, but running wide on Lap 2 meant that he dropped down to ninth place. From there, he began to up his pace and overtake a series of rivals, clawing back a gap of more than a second and hunting down the front group. Showing great calm and intelligence, Fernandez took the lead on Lap 16 and looked to break away, crossing the finish line with an advantage of a second over his nearest challenger.

Gardner made a great start, maintaining second place at the first corner. The Australian pushed to the front on Lap 3 and attempted a breakaway but was reeled back in and eventually fell to fourth just past the midway point of the race. A late push enabled him to return to second position, earning him his eighth podium of the season and his 13th in Moto2.

Remy Gardner remains the leader of the Moto2 World Championship with 184 points. Raul Fernandez is second with 153. The Red Bull KTM Ajo team will now enjoy a summer break before the Styria Grand Prix, held in Austria from August 6th-8th.

Results (Moto2 Race)
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 39:01.832
2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +1.066
3. Augusto Fernandez (Kalex) +1.265
4. Sam Lowes (Kalex) +1.879
5. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) +8.329

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2021
1. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 184 points
2. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 153 points
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) 128 points
4. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 99 points
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Kalex) 73 points

Moto2 World Championship Team Standing 2021
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo 337 points
2. Sky Racing Team VR46 150 points
3. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team 149 points
4. Liqui Moly Intact GP 96 points
5. Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 83 points

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER

“I’m very happy with our performance in Moto2 today. I was not expecting a race like this, as our goal was to finish the weekend solidly and get the maximum points possible with both riders to start the second part of the season in a good position. Of course, coming in first and second is fantastic, and doing it for the fourth time this year is an amazing feat. We have to enjoy the moment and make the most of the summer break but, on the other hand, we have to keep working and maintain our philosophy – which is to keep improving every day.”

87 REMY GARDNER

“Raul [Fernandez] was very strong, and we knew that this weekend he had something extra compared to us. We gave everything we had, but the fight with the rest of the rivals didn’t allow us to set a high pace either. It was enough of a struggle to stay with the group. However, I knew that normally I am strong on the last three laps; I started to hunt them down one by one and I passed them to take second. We did a good job and the other riders didn’t take many points from us. I’m going into the summer break with a smile on my face.”

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“Aki [Ajo] has taught me to stay calm in moments like the ones I experienced today at the beginning of the race. The first few laps were tough, as my plans for this contest were different: to try to push from the start. However, we managed to keep focused and regained positions, little by little. I felt very comfortable when at the front of the leading group and I pushed to the fullest. We had a great end to the Grand Prix and that was the key to achieving this victory.”

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