Fernandez 'dreamt about this day', Gardner 'top rookie reasonable target'

This Sunday will be a landmark moment in the racing careers of Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez, as they make their MotoGP race debuts in the 2022 Qatar season-opener.

After dominating last year's Moto2 World Championship as team-mates, both have been moved up to MotoGP with the Tech3 KTM squad.

Although setting respectable lap times, albeit towards the tail end of the closely matched timesheets, pre-season testing didn't go as smoothly as either would have hoped.

Gardner underwent surgery for a wrist fracture, due to a motocross training accident, shortly before the opening test in Sepang while Fernandez missed the final day in Mandalika due to the effects of a heavy knock to the head the previous day.

By the close of pre-season testing the pair were separated by 0.197s on the timesheets, with Fernandez 22nd and Gardner 23rd, both within 1.538s of Pol Espargaro's pace-setting Honda.

“We had a good preseason with the team," Fernandez said. "The feeling with the bike was good and I got on with my new team so well. I went back home feeling very happy.

"Now we are heading to Qatar and I will race for the first time-ever in MotoGP. When I was younger, I dreamt about this day, it was always my main goal, and the time has finally come for me to live my dream. I could not be happier.

"Anyway, like always, I will stay concentrated, focused on each race, on my work, and I will give the best version of myself. Let’s race.”

Meanwhile the Gardner name will return to the premier-class grid for the first time since Remy's father Wayne completed in his final 500cc season, back in 1992.

“Despite my wrist injury, the preseason was positive overall as we managed to ride all the testing days scheduled," said Remy.

"I was not perfect on the bike, but all these days allowed me to do enough laps to learn about both my KTM RC16 and the MotoGP class. We understood a lot of things and I cannot wait for Qatar."

All five rookies - Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Fernandez, Gardner and Darryn Binder respectively - were left in the final five places on the Mandalika timesheets, potentially setting up a close rookie of the year contest.

"This season, it seems reasonable to be targeting the Rookie of the Year title," Gardner said. "I would like to be able to fight for it and for some top 10s together with my team.

"However, I have a lot to learn and it is going to be a very long season, so it will be key to remain calm, and take each race one by one.”

Free practice starts on Friday afternoon in Qatar.