This Sunday will be a landmark moment in the racin𒉰g careers of Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez, as theyജ make their MotoGP race debuts in the 2022 Qatar season-opener.

After dominating last💖 year's Moto2 World Championship as team-mates, both have been moved up to🐠 MotoGP with the Tech3 KTM squad.

Although setting re🦋spectable lap times, albeit towards the tail enꦉd of the closely matched timesheets, pre-season testing didn't go as smoothly as either would have hoped.

Gardner underwent surgery for a wrist fracture, due to a motocross training accident, shortly before the openin𝓰g test in Sepang while Fernandez missed the final day in Mandalika due to the effects of a heavy knock to the head the previous day.

By the close of pre-season testing the pair were separated by 0.197s on the timesheets, with Fernandez 22nd and Gardn✃er 23rd, both within 1.538s of Pol Espargaro's pace-setting Honda.

“We had a goo♌d preseason with the team," Fernandez said. "The feeling with the bike was good and I got on with my new team so well. I went back home feeling very happy.

"Now we are heading to Qatar and I will race for the first time-ever in MotoGP. When I was younger, I dreamt about this day, it was always♎ my main goal, and the time has finally come for ﷺme to live my dream. I could not be happier.

"Anyway, like always, I will stay concentrated, focused o𒊎n each race, on my wꦡork, and I will give the best version of myself. Let’s race.”

Meaꦏnwhile the Gardner name will return to the premier-class grid for the first time since Remy's father Wayne completed in his final 500cc season, back in 1992.

“Despite myಌ wrist inꦑjury, the preseason was positive overall as we managed to ride all the testing days scheduled," said Remy.

"I was not🌸 perfect on the bike, but all these days allowed me to do enough laps to learn about both my KTM RC16 and the MotoGPꦯ class. We understood a lot of things and I cannot wait for Qatar."

All five rookies - Mar🐼co Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Fernandez, Gardner and Darryn Binder respectively - were left in the final five places on the Mandalika timesheets, potentially setting up a close rookie of the year contest.

"This season, it seems reasonable to be targeting the Rooജkie of the Year title," Gardner said. "I would like to be able to fight for it and for some top 10s together with my team.

"However, I have a lot to learn and it is g༺oing to be a very long season, so it will be key t⛎o remain calm, and take each race one by one.”

Free practice staꦏrts on Friday afternoon in Qatar.