Official representative of Mahindra this season in the Moto3 World Championship, the Spanish team had a privileged agreement with a manufacturer, which will no longer be the case next year due to the Indian manufacturer's withdrawal from GPs.
Andrea Migno, one of the Sky Racing Team VR46 drivers this year, joins Jorge Martinez's group. The links are old and close between the Italian champion and the Spanish manager. Dennis Foggia was crowned 2017 Junior World Champion in Moto3 on a KTM from the Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy. Francis Bagnaia had spent two seasons in GP Moto3 with Aspar on Mahindra, finishing fourth in the 2016 Championship, with a victory at Assen and another at Sepang.
For 2018, KTM must seriously raise the bar in Moto3, after a disastrous season this year, with 248 points against Honda's 445 and only one victory (Migno at home in Mugello) compared to 17 for the world's leading manufacturer. The forces of the racing department had been stretched too thin for the arrival of the Austrians in Moto2 and MotoGP, and the error was corrected according to Pit Beirer, the manager for the Grands Prix.
At Aspar, Andrea Migno and Albert Arenas will be in charge of making the team's colors shine, with the KTM that they have just tested in Valencia. During these tests, Migno became familiar with his new team. For this, the Sky VR46 team provided him with the machine that he used during the 2017 season. “ I feel really good with the team, it's important to start the winter after a good test and with a positive feeling » explained Andrea Migno. “ I know the KTM, and what's more, the boys in the team give us the necessary support to be able to obtain good results. It will be good for the team ».
During the recent Valencia tests, Migno took 5th place in 1'39.223, 0,5 seconds behind the best time of Jorge Martin (Honda) in 1'38.692. It was all the more satisfying as he placed the only KTM right in the middle of a swarm of Hondas.
The Sports Director of the Aspar team, Gino Borsoi, was satisfied: “ We have already started well, we are very satisfied with the performance of Andrea and the machine.
“We understood, in a few series of laps, the needs of the rider and how the bike works. We are impressed with the KTM.
“Of course there is still a lot of work ahead of us, but Andrea's times were better than during the race weekend. Switching from the old bike to the new bike was not a problem for us because the KTM guys helped us. We finished this test with a smile. »
Results of the Valencia Moto3 tests combined:
1. Jorge Martin (Honda) 1:38.692
2. Enea Bastianini (Honda) 1:38.757
3. Aron Canet (Honda) 1:38.850
4. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Honda) 1:38.998
5. Andrea Migno (KTM) 1: 39.223
6. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Honda) 1:39.502
7. Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda) 1:39.557
8. Tony Arbolino (Honda) 1:39.670
9. Niccolò Antonelli (Honda) 1:39.937
Photo © motogp.com / Dorna
Source: Speedweek. com
