The Spaniard becomes the Rookie of the Year after scoring his second victory in a row. Gardner completes another magnificent one-two for the team with 2nd place.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 enjoyed another dream Sunday at the San Marino Grand Prix, earning their sixth one-two finish of the year with Raul Fernandez first and Remy Gardner second. The Spaniard performed an epic feat in achieving his second consecutive victory – his sixth of the season – overcoming pain in his right hand. Gardner claimed his 11th podium from the 14 races in 2021 to date.

Starting from the pole position, Fernandez took the holeshot but was subsequently passed by two rivals. Despite pain in his right hand – operated on just a fortnight ago – the Red Bull KTM Ajo talent pushed hard to regain the lead on Lap 9. From that moment on, Fernandez upped his pace and, after setting the fastest lap, opened a small gap. Only his teammate was able to stay with him at the end of the contest. Thanks to this result, the Spaniard becomes the Rookie of the Year in Moto2.

Gardner was on the second row of the grid but had a tough opening lap. The Australian then had to work hard to overtake other riders and climb positions. At the halfway point of the race, the World Championship leader hunted down the front group and moved into the podium places for the first time, then set his sights on his teammate. After a scare on the final corners when mounting his challenge for the win, he finished in a deserved second position.

Gardner continues to lead the Moto2 World Championship with 271 points. Fernandez is second with 237. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo will be back in action in two weeks for the Americas Grand Prix, held from October 1st-3rd.

Results (Moto2 Race)
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 40:40.563
2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.402
3. Aron Canet (Boscoscuro) +0.569
4. Sam Lowes (Kalex) +1.578
5. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) +4.920

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2021
1. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 271 points
2. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 237 points
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) 190 points
4. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 140 points
5. Aron Canet (Kalex) 119 points

Moto2 World Championship Team Standing 2021
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo 508 points
2. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team 258 points
3. Sky Racing Team VR46 243 points
4. Inde Aspar Team 142 points
5. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 139 points

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER

“Once again, we had an incredible Sunday in Moto2. Friday was a very challenging day for us in rainy conditions. I am proud of the work that the team, especially our riders, did in finding the right path to follow yesterday, despite the few laps they were able to do in the dry. They showed great pace that allowed us to be first and second again today. Raul [Fernandez] was the fastest from the start, but Remy [Gardner] also did an amazing job overcoming his problems on the opening laps and challenging his teammate late on. I have to underline that Raul has been very brave to win the race just two weeks after his right hand operation.”

87 REMY GARDNER

“It was a spectacular race today. We pushed hard to get the victory, but a mistake at Turn 11 on the last lap prevented us from doing so. What I will take away is that we were very fast and I felt strong. The important thing is that we have once again limited the damage and picked up 20 more points. We can’t complain. I want to thank the team and everyone who supports me. We will give it our all again at the next race.”

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“It was a very tough race. In the middle, I managed to impose a higher pace than the others and open a small gap. That is what allowed me to get the victory, since on the last three laps I couldn’t feel my right hand. Luckily, this morning I held back in the warm-up, even though we suffered a crash. I want to thank the team; I don’t have the words to describe how grateful I am. We are working very well. They know my limitations and they respect me. I also want to mention the Clinica Mobile, who helped me with my hand after each session.”