TECH3 PAIRS ADRIÁN FERNÁNDEZ WITH AMERICAN ROOKIE FOR 2027 MOTO3
1 Oct 2026·
Tech3 has confirmed a two-rider line-up for the 2027 Moto3 season, bringing Adrian Fernández back to the team and promoting American Kristian Daniel Jr into the world championship as a rookie.
Fernández, the younger brother of MotoGP rider Raúl Fernández, previously raced for Tech3 in 2022. He then joined Leopard, where he has collected seven podiums and won the Valencia season finale last year. His current campaign has also been marked by a penalty: evidence of unauthorised engine tampering led to his disqualification from the results of the first six rounds.
The Spaniard said returning to a team he knows makes the move especially meaningful. He believes he will arrive with greater experience and a changed outlook, and set an ambitious target: “The goal for 2027 can only be to fight for the World Championship.”
Tech3 team manager Nicolas Goyon said Fernández had developed considerably since his previous spell with the squad. Now more mature and accustomed to racing at the front, he is, Goyon said, the right rider to challenge for the title on a strong KTM.
Daniel Jr will join him after finishing fourth in this year’s Red Bull Rookies Cup. The 17-year-old, born in Los Angeles and now based in Barcelona, ended the series with three podiums and took pole for the Red Bull Ring finale. He will turn 18 during the 2027 season.
The American said he was “super grateful” for the opportunity, adding that he knows how hard he has worked to earn it. He acknowledged that the step up will be difficult, but said he was confident he and the team would work towards the same goal.
Goyon described Daniel Jr as determined, noting that he left California eight years ago to pursue a career in Europe. Tech3 has tracked his progress in the Rookies Cup, and the team believes he will make a valuable contribution. Goyon also said Daniel Jr will become the first American to contest a full season in the Moto3 world championship.
The new pairing replaces Tech3’s current riders, Valentín Perrone and Rico Salmela. Perrone, currently sixth in the standings, is rumoured to be moving to MSi, while Salmela, who is 12th, is set to join the factory Red Bull KTM Ajo team.