Pedro Acosta will move up to the intermediate class next season, accompanied by the experienced Augusto Fernandez.

Red Bull KTM Ajo are proud to announce that Pedro Acosta will be promoted to the Moto2 team in 2022, in his second season with the structure. Alongside him will be Augusto Fernandez, who boasts five years of experience in the intermediate class. The two will take over from Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez, with the aim of continuing to achieve success and developing as riders.
Augusto Fernandez joins the ranks of Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 with 68 Grands Prix participations in the intermediate class over five years, in which he has garnered three victories, five podiums and one pole position. Still only 23, Fernandez is one of the top riders in the competition and regularly fights for wins. Next season he joins a structure that will enable him to keep aspiring to great results.
Pedro Acosta has been the breakout rider of 2021, with five victories and a further podium to date in his rookie season. The 17-year-old star currently leads the Moto3 World Championship with sixs races remaining of the campaign. In his short but successful career, Acosta was also the winner of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2020. In 2022, the Spaniard will take a step up that he hopes will enable him to continue growing as a rider and person.
Combining youth and experience is part of Red Bull KTM Ajo’s philosophy for developing and training new riders. The duo will be part of the KTM GP Academy; a system implemented by the manufacturer to identify and develop top talent, through Moto3 and Moto2, leading to them eventually occupying one of the four Red Bull KTM MotoGP seats.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“We’ve had a very strong season in Moto2 with Remy and Raul and there are still a few races to go but looking to 2022 we are happy to have another couple of great riders with Pedro and Augusto and a promising combination of experience and youth. We have known Augusto for some time and have seen his career and results. He has shown big potential and I think we can achieve great things together. Pedro’s rookie year in Moto3 has been something special and even more is coming. The step to Moto2 after just one season in Moto3 is a big one but if there is one rider that can make this step then it’s Pedro. We have a lot of trust in him and will, of course, fully support him. Together with Red Bull and KTM, I am confident we have selected the right talents for our KTM GP Academy for the future.”

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsport Director

“We are very pleased to announce the Moto2 rider line-up with Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez for our KTM GP Academy. Together with Red Bull KTM Ajo we have the best possible structure to support both riders in their next challenge. Aki Ajo and his team have played a fundamental role in the careers of many riders and we can be proud to have him by our side for the next project in rider development. It is a great pleasure to support Pedro’s desire to move up from Moto3 to the next category. What he has shown in his first World Championship season is outstanding and we believe he can keep the momentum going. He will continue to focus on his goal for 2021, but we will then tackle the next challenge together. With Augusto we welcome another promising talent to our Red Bull KTM family. He has shown great signs and we are happy to have an experienced Moto2 rider in our line-up. I am sure that under Aki’s guidance he can make the next level in performance and we will celebrate some exciting results in the near future.”

Augusto Fernandez – Rider

“I am very happy to be part of the Red Bull KTM Ajo family. It is a structure that, for many years, has been the benchmark in Moto2, winning races, fighting for world titles and achieving them. They have a lot of experience in managing Grands Prix and entire seasons, so I can’t wait to start working with the team and learning from them. The objective for next year will be to fight for the title. I know they have the wisdom and the means to make it happen, so I’m looking forward to next year.”

Pedro Acosta – Rider

“The leap up to Moto2 was a move I wanted to make. Of course, we still have a lot to learn in Moto3, but changing class will allow us to define some details and ride alone more. It will help me to grow as a rider in general. Staying with Red Bull, KTM and Aki Ajo will be good for us, because we have a year of experience together and, in addition, I already have a relationship with the people who will be my mechanics next year – which is something positive and important. They have helped me to take my first steps in the World Championship, to believe that I was capable of being there and to create a working methodology appropriate for the level of this competition.”