It's a heartbreak that KTM will have to face this weekend: in front of its public, its compatriots and on its circuit, the Austrian manufacturer is showing up for its national Grand Prix with a sparse workforce. Mika Kallio is injured in his right knee since the Sachsenring and will not be operational before November. Pol Espargaro has a broken collarbone and a bad neck. Alone Bradley Smith, on departure, is fit. And the RC16 must develop. So, in Mattighofen, we are looking for another driver for the tests…
The team manager Mike leitner took his pilgrim's staff to go looking for the rare pearl. It must be said that circumstances pushed the people at KTM to accelerate the recruitment campaign for the second test rider. “ Last year, we were very lucky to have been able to count on Mika Kallio who was not injured. When nothing happens, a single test pilot is enough, that's clear. But at KTM we also always have something new to try, and having only one rider for that is a risk. So we need a second one ».
Mika Kallio has been there since the start of RC16: “ he is part of our history, he knows the bike very well, but we have to wait and see how his situation will evolve ". There is also Bradley Smith, for the moment without a future: “ we speak with lots of pilots and he is one of them ". Despite his knowledge of the subject, English is not a priority…
Because there are priorities! “ If we don't consider Dani Pedrosa as a candidate, who should we consider? Nothing is done, but we made him an offer. Some say his body shape would be a handicap for testing, but I worked with him and I can say that fast riders like Stoner and Marquez benefited from his settings. He knows how to fine-tune a MotoGP so that it is at the front ". And then there is the case Jonas Folger, who also has the full attention of Yamaha in its European test team project: “we are also in contact with him” assures the same Leitner on speedweek.
