Julian Simon to step in for Gardner at the Americas GP
The vastly experienced former Moto2 rider Julian Simon will compete on the Mistral 610 this weekend and replace the injured Remy Gardner who is recovering from recent surgery. The young Australian was unfortunately hit by another rider during the first lap of the Argentina GP, which resulted in him breaking his right ankle. On Tuesday, Gardner was successfully operated on and he now aims to make a comeback at Jerez, the first European Grand Prix of the season, which starts on the 5th of May. The Tech3 Racing Team wishes Remy Gardner a swift recovery and would like to welcome Julian Simon, the 2009 125cc World Champion, for the race weekend in Austin, Texas.
Julian Simon
“I am very pleased about this opportunity to race with the Tech3 Racing Team this weekend so I must start by saying thanks to Hervé and all of the crew. I have seen the Mistral 610 on the track for many years and I am excited to sample the bike and get an impression of the chassis. I hope that Remy will return soon but this weekend I aim to enjoy the experience and help with the development, if possible. I will give my all to score a good result and I am really happy to race with Tech3 in Austin, Texas.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager
“As most people know, Remy had his operation on Tuesday, which went successfully, and Dr Mir and his crew are happy with what was undertaken. They have said that our rider will be 95% fit for Jerez and we look forward to having him back then. After the Argentina GP, we told Remy that there would not be a replacement rider unless Julian was available and he fully agreed with this. Now, we are happy to have Julian join us for the Americas GP because we have known each other for quite a few seasons and in the past, we even discussed the possibility of him joining our team as a full-time rider. He is a very talented and high-level Moto2 rider, but most importantly, he has raced in the intermediate class since 2010 and he has ridden almost every bike that has been available. We will be very interested to hear his comments and feedback, which will certainly help us to understand our machine more. In addition, this weekend we have the opportunity to work with someone who is not only a top rider but also a true gentleman. Good luck to Julian and we’ll do our best to support him. Furthermore, we can’t wait to see Remy again, and even though he has been unlucky so far in 2017, we know that he is going to surprise people and do some great things this year with us.”