MotoGP Gardner on his Moto2 title: “There were times when it was mentally taxing”

The Australian rider had to dig deep within himself to be crowned in Moto2 last year, facing an opponent that no one expected at this level: his own teammate.  

A decade. It took neither more nor less than ten long years for Australia to once again place one of its nationals at the top of the Grand Prix hierarchy. The last time was in 2011, with the second coronation of Casey Stoner in MotoGP, on behalf of Honda (the first having been obtained in 2007 with Ducati).

In 2021, it was finally the eldest son of Wayne Gardner (500cc world champion in 1987), Remy, who took up the torch in the Moto2 category. However the young Australian, who will celebrate his 24th birthday next month, less than two weeks before the opening of the new season, was not particularly aiming for the title at this time last year.

 

No views on the championship at the start of the season

It must be said that he only had one success to show for his record, and even then, the latter won very recently during the final of the 2020 season, in Portimão, Portugal. Having arrived in Moto2 in 2016, suffice to say that the Aussie took the time to make his mark, but with the omnipotent KTM of the Ajo team, he held the ultimate weapon to seek the coronation, even if that was not the case. was therefore not part of its first intentions at the start of 2021. “I started the season on the same basis as in 2020, that is to say making sure to finish the races and pocket the maximum number of points”, explained Remy gardner nearby MotoGP official website. “I approached the season wanting to take the races one after the other, without even having the championship in mind. »

However, he had to face the facts when he won three consecutive races: at Mugello, in Catalonia and at the Sachsenring, completing the first half of the season with a large lead over his teammate. Raul Fernandez. A series of victories which led Gardner to revise his ambitions upwards, while realizing that his greatest opponent was undoubtedly in the garage next door. “I think our first part of the season was incredible, but of course as we got closer to the end of the season the points started to really count”, takes over the reigning Champion of the intermediate category. “Especially because Raúl was having some very strong races, and that's when we really started thinking about the championship, but that was also his case. »

A threat named Fernández

It is true that Fernández, who was discovering the intermediate category this year, was immediately into the game and constituted a real threat once the halfway point of the season was over. The young Spaniard thus gained momentum during the last rounds, stringing together victories, going so far as to also appear as a credible contender for the title, notably when Gardner faltered, in Austin for example. “The only mistake I really had to deplore was in Austin”, recognizes the Australian, who nevertheless believes that his abandonment in Texas was saving and allowed him to remobilize for the final events. “Obviously it was a difficult moment for me to accept in the run-up to the championship, but I think I managed to keep my nerves and right after the accident I was still able to get up and move on. the front. In any case this was necessary because there were only three races left to go, and in fact nothing was lost. So I fought harder than ever. I then managed to widen the gap again. »

Particularly on the grounds of his first victory in the category, in the Algarve, where he once again managed to win to present no less than 23 points ahead of his teammate at the start of the last race of the season in Valence. “At the Portuguese Grand Prix, the choice of tires and remaining calm throughout the event were crucial factors”, explains Gardner, who was still feeling pain from his fall on the COTA. “In this sense, Portimão was really decisive this year for me. I had to keep a cool head while I still had pain in my ribs. Despite this, I managed to achieve a victory which was undoubtedly one of the most important this season. »

 

A victory which therefore allowed him to benefit from a comfortable mattress as the season finale approached, thus leaving him free to ride on his hand to finish the event in tenth position, while his rival won his eighth success of the year. Enough to win the bet and the title, at the end of a year which will have been lavish in lessons concerning him. “There were obviously some very stressful moments, and I have to say there were some parts where it was very mentally taxing. But in the end we must not get stuck on the mistakes that may have been made, we must use them to progress. I think I learned a lot about that this year, especially how to deal with pressure, especially that applied by Raúl. I think it's a skill that I will be able to use again in the future, whether in MotoGP or in other areas. »

Gardner and Fernández, from rivals in Moto2 to partners in MotoGP

Only four unfortunate points ultimately separated Gardner from Fernández at the end of the season. But despite the importance of the stakes, the two men knew how to respect each other until the end and it is together that they will make their debut this year in the premier category, within the Tech3 team.

 

 

The important thing for the two acolytes will then be more to learn than to really get out of trouble, while the first tests which were held in Jerez at the end of November did not fail to surprise the Australian, victim of a heavy fall during the first day, which caused him, again, pain in his ribs. However, nothing to curb his enthusiasm when it comes time to start in MotoGP: “I’m really looking forward to making my debut in the category, although of course there’s going to be a lot to learn. I also think that we will have to keep an eye on Raúl, because he should be very fast. We're going to push each other to our limits at KTM, and I hope that this will allow us to have a good season on machines that are awesome. »