The KTM staff believed that the country's air breathed during the Austrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring would be helpful in dissipating and resolving the problems it had created for itself. But that was not the case. Certainly, the renewal of Brad Binder until 2026 was an announcement, but it was not the one expected. Because the one that everyone is impatient to know will teach us how we can satisfy five signed riders when we have four motorcycles. A tour de force which could nevertheless be achieved if everyone puts a little effort into it...
To remember the file, we must remember that KTM went to see the promoter Dorna to recover the two blocks left by Suzuki than the starting grid. Carmelo Ezpeleta refused, reserving them for a new manufacturer and not a private team representing a brand in the group of an already present manufacturer. So the Austrians tried to take over an existing satellite team. To find yourself once again with your beak in the water. Gresini, LCR and RNF declined the approach.
We were there at the time when the Austrian Grand Prix was launching. An uncomfortable posture is always difficult to live with, but even more so at home and perhaps even more so when your name is Pierer Mobility Group AG. Then the specter of errors and disappointments as well as damage from the point of view of the image experienced with the decisions concerning Petrucci, Lecuona, Raul Fernandez et Remy gardner resurfaced when it became clear that between Pol Espargaro et Augusto Fernandez, only one could remain to make room for Peter Acosta. Had KTM just dug its own hole by being unable to learn from sad past experiences?
KTM: “ we don't want to make this mistake a second time, because who knows how many MotoGP we will have on the grid in 2025? »
We believed him at first with these remarks with the very particular implication of the big boss Stefan Pierer which Pol Espargaro presents without disguise, but also without animosity, as a “ requin »… We read thus on speedweek : " we still have a lot of Grands Prix ahead of us this year. You can see how many injuries happen all the time. As always, there will be an elimination race. We will find a solution. In today's MotoGP format, there are more and more injuries ».
For a bit, it would send shivers down your spine... But fortunately, the details are coming..." Few teams have test or reserve drivers who can score points. We saw how Jonas Folger struggled to replace Pol from Texas at Assen. We were happy he stepped in, but he wasn't really a replacement ". He adds : " current test drivers do not race at the level of regular drivers. We need a second fast driver to work alongside Dani Pedrosa. Because in terms of further development, only a fast and good driver will help us ».
A pole stretched to Pol Espargaro, because in addition to being fast, you need experience to help the development of a MotoGP. In echo, Hubert Trunkenpolz, head of motorcycle sport at KTM, and the T of the trigram, clarified: “with a total of 42 or even 44 races, we will still need replacement drivers in the coming season. With so many races, the risk of accidents increases. And if we can offer a test pilot six Wildcards and there is also the possibility of being used as a replacement pilot, these are lucrative incentives ».
Here we are : Stefan pierer would have agreed with Dorna that the status of test pilots would be improved by increasing the number of Wildcards to six per year. For the rest, KTM is not amnesic…” Augusto Fernandez is in his first year in MotoGP and shows promise. We made the mistake of dismissing a rookie too early. We don't want to make this mistake a second time. Augusto is Moto2 World Champion. He deserves a fair chance in MotoGP. We certainly don't want to lose him. Because who knows how many MotoGPs we will have on the grid in 2025? ". Now it all depends on what you think Pol Espargaro of all that, he who should be able to do six Grands Prix in the season if he becomes a test driver...
