Joined Jan 2013
324 Posts | 196+
Northwest
GasGas is joining MotoGP with the Tech3 team.
From A&R:
From 2023, Tech3 will become the GasGas Factory Racing Team, with Pol Espargaro confirmed as one of their riders. The team will compete with factory-backed KTM RC16s branded under the GasGas name. Although GasGas will be competing under their own name, this does not mean that they will be regarded as a new manufacturer under MotoGP regulations. For the purposes of the rules, GasGas will be treated as KTM. That means they will not have concessions, have the same engine homologation and testing rules as KTM. They will also have no representation in the MSMA, KTM remaining the representative for the Pierer Mobility Group brands.
GasGas Press Release:
GasGas have always been keen to get on the gas for fun but now the throttle grip feels different, the pace faster and the stakes higher. From 2023 Spain’s iconic motorcycle brand will join the rush of MotoGP for the first time in deal that sees the Tech3 Factory Team turn a full crimson red. The renowned race-winning crew will be equipped with GasGas MotoGP technology and will place the machinery into the hands of Pol Espargaro for the globe-trotting Grand Prix series with a second rider to be confirmed soon.
Competition - and all the thrill and excitement that comes from racing - is part of GasGas’ soul. The company, formed in the 1980s, celebrated the joy and buzz that motorcycling brings: everything that is daring, capable, vibrant, inviting. Fame in Trials and Enduro quickly transformed into motocross, supercross and rally success in recent years with a comprehensive foundation of offroad production bikes and now - after tasting spoils in in both Moto3 and Moto2 classes - the brand is ready for the next frontier; the pinnacle of road racing.
GasGas want to bring their young, fresh and passionate vibe to the highest stage and that meant transforming the objectives of the Tech3 Factory Racing team for 2023. The decorated outfit and Pol Espargaro will become a new and welcome member of the GasGas family. The popular 31-year-old will also tie-in some of GasGas’ Iberian heritage for their maiden MotoGP tilt.
The distinctive red and white livery will go faster than it ever has been thanks to the new GasGas MotoGP trailblazer. The marque will be the sixth brand in MotoGP for 2023 but has already boosted its presence with Grand Prix victories and podium appearances in Moto3 and Moto2 in the last two seasons thanks to the excellence of the GasGas Aspar team.
Pit Beirer, GasGas Motorsports Director: “GasGas is a winning brand. It has reached an incredible level of performance immediately in disciplines like MXGP, Supercross, Enduro and Rally where we have taken Grands Prix, Main Events, world titles and overall winners’ trophies. It’s a relatively new brand for us and we have new goals. We hope the fans that follow ‘the red’ will enjoy the story. Thanks to our strong partner, the ASPAR team, in Moto3 and Moto2 we have been able to see the GasGas bikes right at the front of those categories. It would be great to see the same thing eventually in the hardest class of them all. I want to thank Hervé and the Tech3 factory racing team for keeping an open mind and really supporting this change to become the GasGas Factory Racing Team. We think it’s exciting and different.”
Hubert Trunkenpolz, Member of the Executive Board, CMO: “Taking the GasGas name bigger and wider than its roots in Trial has been really successful in a number of ways. After seeing what we could achieve in Moto3 and Moto2 the next question was whether we could take GasGas to MotoGP and we’re thrilled that we can make this step. It’s a new journey and I know the brand will stand out right away. Importantly, the team, the riders, the management will help GasGas make a splash in the premier class. That’s what we’re hoping for!”
