After seeing in the part XNUMX of this article the debut of KTM in racing, then in Grand Prix, finally in Moto3 and Moto2, let's now take the top step, in the company this year of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith.
MotoGP, the top of the pyramid
After having selected the best base at world level with the Rookies Cup, then having refined its choice in Moto3, KTM is able to compare its best riders in this antechamber of glory that is Moto2. There are hopes of strength against experienced veterans, and it will therefore be logical for the one who brings the world title in Moto2 to an Austrian bike to be integrated into the MotoGP team. KTM boss Stefan Pierer explained his vision of things thus: “ The Moto2 project is very important to us. Through our growth and long-term investments, we are in a position to finally fill that last remaining gap in our competitive business. A young rider can now gain experience in the Rookies Cup, use it in our own Moto3 team and then move forward with our new Moto2 project to finally reach MotoGP. It's a concept that has always been successful for KTM and WP in competition and in the future we hope to have riders for our MotoGP project who have completed their entire career with the KTM Academy ».
Trend or exception?
Is KTM's new policy of supporting its riders from the bottom to the top of the pyramid a trend set to become widespread? For now, the only possible comparison can be made with Honda. After'Asia Talent Cup (led by Alberto Puig for Dorna and Honda), young Japanese, Malaysians, Indonesians, Australians, Turks and other Chinese can claim to be part of the Moto3Asia Talent Team in CEV (Junior World Championship), then in the Grand Prix of Honda Team Asia, before continuing with this team managed by Tadayuki Okada in Moto2, such as Takaaki Nakagami. But the comparison with KTM stops there since there is no structure capable of welcoming Honda riders from the Asia-Pacific region in MotoGP.
For his part, Valentino Rossi relies on the VR46 Riders Academy which follows his Italian riders in Moto3 with the Sky VR46 Racing Team. Vale is multi-brand in its activities, with Yamaha for the school, KTM and Mahindra for Moto3, and now Kalex (with a Honda engine) for the Moto2 of Francesco Bagnaia and Stefano Manzi. Rossi does not yet have his own team in MotoGP, but it would be surprising if this is not the case after his retirement as a rider.
In conclusion, KTM now has a structure that allows it to retain its best elements from the Rookies Cup to the MotoGP world title. To do this, the equipment will need to be competitive, and the remuneration will be up to par. Brad Binder's Moto3 title is the very expression of the performance of which the equipment is capable, and for the salary of a champion, KTM compatriot Red Bull, already a partner of the manufacturer, is there to match any competing offer. Will the KTM system bear fruit? The MotoGP and Moto2 teams are in their infancy and it is therefore too early to assess the possible outcome. But the idea is interesting and could give ideas to others in the future. Didn't Ducati discreetly declare itself interested in Moto3 ?
KTM photos, credits Focus Pollution, Sebas Romero, M. Campelli and Philip Platzer
