For a little, the contrast would be striking. On one side one Pol Espargaro having barely come off a resounding podium at the Valencia Grand Prix for KTM and on its good momentum during the tests which followed on the same circuit. And, on the other, a Johann zarco who made the discovery of the RC16 in pain, with two falls as a result. A first meeting worse than he had imagined, according to the former Tech3 Yamaha rider himself. But in the official Mattighofen stand, we don't dwell on this big gap. We even play it together. Until Pol Espargaró who himself steps up to the plate!
While Pol Espargaro was very satisfied with the progress made during the Valencia tests, his new teammate, Johann zarco, was still having trouble switching from his old Yamaha to the KTM. But the Spaniard defended the tricolor: “ I'm sure Johann will be quick. He just needs a little time to get used to the bike. It's very different from the Yamaha and it's normal that it needs time. But I have no doubt that it will be fast “, underlined the one who knows something about it… Since he followed the same trajectory!
He pursues : " we need fast drivers. Including for tests like Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio. There are also young talents from Moto2, like Hafizh Syahrin and Miguel Oliveira. It takes time and it's not that simple. We know that the KTM is not as easy at first as a Suzuki, for example. It's not so quick and easy right now. We wish it was, but at the moment it is not. But it will come. New riders just need time and should try out the KTM to gain experience. "
The 27-year-old pilot finishes: “IHe certainly doesn't have the same problems as Johann at the moment, because I've been riding this bike for two years and we've already improved it considerably. But there are still many areas in which we still need to improve. And this is where Zarco will come into play, because he will compare the Yamaha with the KTM. He can show us how to improve the bike. This is one of the reasons why KTM took it. Because it's fast and can bring new ideas and maybe feel things that I don't feel. We trust him 100% and I am sure he can contribute 100% to the improvement of RC16. »
Combined times 20/21. November 2018:
1. Maverick Vinales (E), Yamaha, 1:30,757 min
2. Andrea Dovizioso (I), Ducati, +0.133 sec
3. Marc Marquez (E), Honda, +0,154
4. Jack Miller (AUS), Ducati, +0,182
5. Danilo Petrucci (I), Ducati, +0.202
6. Franco Morbidelli (I), Yamaha, +0.217
7. Alex Rins (E), Suzuki, +0.497
8. Takaaki Nakagami (J), Honda, +0.547
9 Valentino Rossi (I), Yamaha, +0 614
10th Aleix Espargaró (E), Aprilia, +0 643
11th Francesco Bagnaia (I), Ducati, +0 648
12th Jorge Lorenzo (E), Honda, +0 827
13th Pol Espargaró (E), KTM, +0,871
14. Joan Mir (E), Suzuki, +0,957
15. Tito Rabat (E), Ducati, +1.183
16. Stefan Bradl (D), Honda, +1.258
17. Fabio Quartararo (F), Yamaha, +1
18. Andrea Iannone (I), Aprilia, +1 367
19. Michele Pirro (I), Ducati, +1
20. Jonas Folger (D), Yamaha, +1
21. Johann Zarco (F), KTM, +1.752
22. Karel Abraham (CZ), Ducati, +2.149
23. Hafizh Syahrin (MAL), KTM, +2.251
24. Bradley Smith (GB), Aprilia, +2.271
25. Miguel Oliveira (P), KTM, +3,041
Valencia test, November 21, 2018:
1. Vinales, Yamaha, 1:30,757 min
2. Dovizioso, Ducati, 1:30,890
3. Marquez, Honda, 1:30,911
4. Miller, Ducati, 1:30,939
5. Petrucci, Ducati, 1:30,959
6. Morbidelli, Yamaha, 1:30,974
7. Rins, Suzuki, 1:31,254
8. Nakagami, Honda, 1:31,304
9. Rossi, Yamaha, 1:31,371
10. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1:31,400
11. Bagnaia, Ducati, 1:31.405
12. Lorenzo, Honda, 1:31.584
13. Pol Espargaro, KTM, 1:31.628
14. Mir, Suzuki, 1.31.714
15. Rabat, Ducati, 1:31.940
16. Quartararo, Yamaha, 1:32.091
17. Iannone, Aprilia, 1:32.124
18. Folger, Yamaha, 1:32.265
19. Pirro, Ducati, 1:32.376
20. Zarco, KTM, 1:32.509
21. Abraham, Ducati, 1:32.906
22. Syahrin, KTM, 1:33.008
23. Smith, Aprilia, 1:33.028
24. Oliveira, KTM, 1:33.798
Valencia test, November 20, 2018:
1. Vinales, Yamaha, 1:31,416 min
2. Marquez, Honda, 1:31,718
3. Rossi, Yamaha, 1:31,845
4. Dovizioso, Ducati, 1:31,846
5. Bradl, Honda, 1:32,015
6. Morbidelli, Yamaha, 1:32.085
7. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1:32.095
8. Petrucci, Ducati, 1:32.100
9. Pol Espargaro, KTM, 1:32.179
10. Pirro, Ducati, 1:32.220
11. Bagnaia, Ducati, 1:32
12. Rins, Suzuki, 1:32,402
13. Nakagami, Honda, 1:32,539
14. Miller, Ducati, 1:32,555
15. Mir, Suzuki, 1.32.787
16. Rabat, Ducati, 1:32.834
17. Zarco, KTM, 1:32.835
18. Lorenzo, Honda, 1:32.959
19. Iannone, Aprilia, 1:33.291
20. Abraham, Ducati, 1:33
21. Smith, Aprilia, 1:33
22. Folger, Yamaha, 1:33
23. Quartararo, Yamaha, 1:33
850, Syahrin, KTM, 1:34,233
25. Oliveira, KTM, 1:35,118
