Tech3 has settled its 2027 Moto3 pairing with race winner Adrián Fernández and American rookie Kristian Daniel Jr. Fernández brings an established record back to the team, while Daniel Jr arrives after a strong Red Bull Rookies Cup campaign and is set to make his first full-season move into the World Championship.

Fernández returns with the title in mind

Fernández previously rode for Tech3 in 2022 before joining Leopard. During that spell he has taken seven podiums and won last year’s Valencia finale. His current campaign was disrupted when he was excluded from the results of the opening six rounds following evidence of unauthorised tampering with his Honda engines.

The rider says he is coming back with greater experience, a different mindset and the ambition to fight for the 2027 World Championship. Team manager Nicolas Goyon views Fernández as the right candidate for that task, arguing that his maturity and experience at the front make him a strong title prospect on Tech3’s KTM.

Daniel Jr steps up from the Rookies Cup

Born in Los Angeles and now based in Barcelona, Kristian Daniel Jr finished fourth in this year’s Red Bull Rookies Cup. He collected three podiums and secured pole position for the Red Bull Ring finale. Daniel Jr is 17 and will turn 18 next season, when he is expected to become the first American to contest a full season in the championship.

Goyon says Tech3 followed the youngster’s progress and identified determination as a defining quality. Daniel Jr recognises that the move into Moto3 will be demanding, but is confident that he and the team can work towards the same objective. The 2027 seat therefore represents both a major sporting step and a significant milestone for the American rider.

The new pairing follows a season in which current Tech3 riders Valentín Perrone and Rico Salmela sit sixth and twelfth respectively in the standings. Perrone is rumoured to be heading to MSi, while Salmela is expected to move to Red Bull KTM Ajo. Tech3’s next campaign will consequently combine Fernández’s front-running experience with a new American prospect.