KTM has decided to move up a gear this year in Grand Prix, after winning the Moto3 World Champion title last year with Brad Binder. The debut in MotoGP is gradual, and the Austrian firm currently occupies tied twenty-second place in the ranking with Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith. On the other hand, in Moto2, Miguel Oliveira performed wonders which earned him fourth position.
For a beginner machine, facing such seasoned opponents of Kalex, Tech 3, Speed Up and Suter, this start to the season is simply excellent. Fourth in the inaugural race in Qatar, Oliveira took pole position in the second event in Argentina. Third in Jerez, he recently placed fourth in Barcelona.
Second in the Moto3 World Championship in 2015, already on KTM, Miguel won six Grands Prix that year and totaled nine podiums. In 2016, he tried his hand at Moto2 on a Leopard Racing Kalex, before joining KTM this season. His results are all the more meritorious as he develops the Austrian Moto2 alone, his teammate Brad Binder having no experience in the category and having injured himself, thus missing three Grands Prix.
Pete Beirer, the KTM Competition Director, is very satisfied with his performance: “ Miguel does a great job. He made good decisions about the setup in the spring, he was quick, everything went well. Before Le Mans we had doubts and wanted to set the bike in a different direction, which did nothing for us.
“If you have such a small team, where everything is right for the driver, then if that driver starts to stumble, it will be difficult. We didn't have a strong second runner at this stage, so we couldn't say : “Look, your colleague on the team is doing this or that, and it’s working.” When at Mugello Brad Binder was back in the race and went straight to 6th place in free practice, Miguel was seventh again. Internal pressure from a strong colleague in the team helps Miguel in the current situation.
“If we are tenth in a race in the first year, it is a dream result when we consider the youth of this project. It is very good that we sometimes know the reality and do not believe that it is a one-way street. Because the level in this Moto2 category is simply high. Its current operation is really good. »
Photos: credit Sebas Romero and Gold and Goose for KTM
Source: speedweek. com
