In the upcoming 2024 MotoGP season, Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 team will enter its sixth year as a KTM satellite partner, marking the second season under the GasGas name following a rebrand in 2023.
The previous year presented significant challenges for Tech3, with Pol Espargaro sidelined for the first half of the season due to a serious injury, and rookie Augusto Fernandez struggling to find his footing.
Despite Fernandez achieving the team’s best result of fourth place at the French Grand Prix, Tech3 has now gone three consecutive seasons without securing a podium finish.
For the 2024 season, Fernandez has been retained, while Espargaro, despite having signed a two-year deal, has been replaced by reigning Moto2 champion Acosta. Acosta was a notable figure in the rider market last year and had long been assured promotion to the premier class with KTM.
Anticipation surrounds Acosta’s MotoGP debut, given his impressive track record, which includes winning the Moto3 title in his debut season and the Moto2 title within two campaigns.
Recently, Tech3 unveiled the factory GasGas colors for the 2024 season, featuring a slight departure from the 2023 color scheme. Notably, the Red Bull branding on the bike is more prominent, with the energy drinks giant also becoming the title sponsor for the Tech3-run GasGas team.
Acosta completed his first official test on the KTM MotoGP bike in Valencia last November, finishing 18th, just four-tenths behind his teammate Fernandez.
Ahead of the new season, Acosta, the reigning Moto2 champion, will gain additional track time during the pre-season Sepang shakedown from 1-3 February, which is open to test riders, rookies, and riders for manufacturers with relevant concessions.
Tech3 is the fifth team to conduct its 2024 launch presentation, following Gresini, the factory Ducati squad, VR46, and Trackhouse Racing. The next team to unveil its 2024 colors will be Yamaha on the eve of pre-season testing in Malaysia on 5 February.
Pre-season testing is scheduled from 6-8 February at the Sepang International Circuit, followed by two final days of running in Qatar on 19-20 February. The new season is set to kick off at Losail on March 8-10.