Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira will join the Aprilia satellite team in RNF Racing’s all-new lineup for the 2023 MotoGP season.
The RNF Racing team, led by Razlan Razali, will cut connections with Yamaha at the end of the current season after changing its name from Petronas SRT at the end of last year.
Outgoing KTM riders Oliveira and his Tech3 teammate Fernandez have inked two-year contracts, reviving the team’s lineup for 2023. RNF will field year-old Aprilia machinery in 2019.
While youngster Fernandez recently obtained a release from his contract with the Austrian marque to join RNF, Oliveira has long been associated with the team after declining a move back to Tech3 from KTM.
For his first season, Fernandez had originally intended to ride for RNF’s predecessor Petronas SRT, but KTM forced him into a contract with Tech3.
At the conclusion of this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced his retirement from MotoGP, and Darryn Binder appears destined to transition to Moto2, having advanced directly from Moto3 to the premier class. RNF’s present lineup will leave MotoGP at the end of the season.
The two new riders’ signing was “not a simple process,” according to RNF chief Razali, but both the team and Aprilia “trust in the quality of both riders.”
Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira will join the WithU RNF MotoGP Team in 2023, and Razali expressed his excitement about this.
“It has not been an easy process, but we are quite clear with Aprilia about the riders that we wanted.
They are both young riders with a solid foundation of experience from Miguel and Raul, who I personally support after he shocked the Moto2 division by winning Vice Champion last year. It’s wonderful to have finally gotten him.
Both Aprilia and we think both riders are talented, therefore we can’t wait for them to ride for us in the upcoming season!
Jack Miller has taken over Oliveira’s position at KTM, and Enea Bastianini will take over Miller’s position at the factory Ducati team.
Pol Espargaro from Honda will rejoin Tech3, which will change its name to GasGas Factory Racing in 2023. Remy Gardner, the current Moto2 champion, hinted that he would not be joining the team during the Austrian GP weekend.
Augusto Fernandez, a top Moto2 rider who competes for KTM-backed Ajo Motorsport, is said to share a Tech3 seat with Espargaro.
Honda eventually disclosed earlier on Tuesday morning that Joan Mir had been committed to a two-year contract to join its factory squad alongside Marc Marquez in 2023.
