During the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, Pol Espargaro did everything he could, but he could not prevent Mika Kallio from beating him to the finish line.
As we know, the latter had a new engine which visibly brings clear progress to the KTM RC 16.
In the paddock, everyone assumed, no doubt rightly, that the Austrian firm was testing its engine running in the opposite direction of the wheels in the race, a technology adopted by all the other factories. Yamahas have been equipped with them for a long time, Hondas much more recently.
Without going further into the technique, this configuration makes it possible to counter the tendency to wheelie by providing support of around one kilo when accelerating, while significantly increasing maneuverability.
On the other hand, it requires an intermediate shaft between the crankshaft and the gearbox primary shaft, which requires the complete overhaul of the engine casings. This is undoubtedly why the KTMs, although benefiting from the advantages of Concession, will not have this new propellant in racing before mid-season: we simply need time to manufacture a small series!
Espargaro Pol was nevertheless able to test this engine during the IRTA tests on the Monday following the Grand Prix.
Delighted, he is full of praise for it: “We gained a second! »
We know the legendary enthusiasm of the driver born in Granollers, a stone's throw from the Catalunya circuit, but this one stands out from the figures: “We were a lot faster. Yesterday, we were around 1'40.3, 1'40.4 and today with a racing tire, we did 1'39.4, so a second gained.”
For the KTM rider, here is the explanation: “It’s better for being able to tour. What our bike lacks is that ability to turn, and this bike turns two or three times better, so maybe we lose in other places but overall it's a lot faster." .
Number 44 believes this is a decisive step in the development of the RC16: “Obviously it's good to have something in our pocket, even if we won't be able to use it in the next races. It's good to have a gun in your pocket. This will allow us to continue working, even on the things you think aren't great. »
The Catalan concedes some disadvantages, while minimizing them: “Minus the grip when the bike is straight, but that's the kind of thing we can improve through settings, through the chassis, the swingarm, or whatever, but when turning, I think we had reaches a fixed point. We couldn’t improve, so it’s good to find a new way of doing things.”
Espargaro Pol to conclude : “After the two days of testing, I am very impressed and happy with the improvements to come for the future. The best is yet to come but we are also improving with our current racing bike, and we have tried a lot of things and recorded a lot of info. I am happy. We continue to learn on this bike, we work like crazy and, one day, I am sure we will be in the top 10 regularly.”
The same positivity is found in Bradley Smith which focused more on the chassis: “We made some progress during the GP in different areas, and that allowed us to get a better result. The test then was to try to build from that and progress in my weaker areas. We worked on a lot of different parts for the future, like the chassis and swingarm of the new development bike, made some suspension improvements and gave ideas to help move forward. After riding all three bikes we have a good understanding of our situation. Everything is very clear and we are not missing anything even if it means mixing some elements of the three. I'm going to Le Mans happy with our progress. It is a track with very hard braking and, in cold weather, it is important to warm the tire well. We worked on it a little today. We finish our work here, happy and in better shape for the French GP.”
The final word goes to Sebastian Risse, the Technical Director of the KTM MotoGP project: “A lot of things built up – a lot of parts and ideas – that we didn't get to try in the overseas races, and even some things that were left over from pre-season testing. We also had doubts and decisions to make, so this test was important. We had good weather conditions and we are very satisfied with the results. Not only has the pace been good, but we have taken a step forward in many areas and now we have to prove it on other circuits and in other circumstances. We discovered some answers that we didn't find during the race weekend in Jerez, so it's already been very positive in that regard. We are also happy with some longer-term ideas that we have confirmed with the GP drivers. Now we are looking forward to the next race.”
One second per lap would mathematically give a gain of 25 seconds during the Spanish Grand Prix… and therefore a victory for Pol Espargaro (or Mika Kallio).
We obviously find it very hard to believe it, but if this new engine (and the rest) could make the 2019 KTMs a little more competitive, it would probably not be Johann Zarco's supporters who would complain!
