For the first time in its long and glorious history, the Tech3 team will enter the fray in the Grand Prix entry category. It will therefore be Moto3 for Hervé Poncharal's men, forced to leave a Moto2 that has been around since the start of its installation in the landscape, in place of the 250 with two-stroke engines. An unknown land for the French with thirty years of experience, a challenge that their boss tackles with avidity. Especially since it is a stated priority of its partner KTM…
Tech3 in Moto3, it has been a reality since KTM has decided to retire from Moto2. A new direction that came about quite suddenly, on the evening of the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix. But Hervé Poncharal is not a man to allow himself to be destabilized. For him, anything new is an opportunity… “ My team and I had been involved in the Moto2 World Championship for nine years said the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team owner. “ The first eight years with our Mistral 610 motorcycle, and in 2019 with KTM. Honestly, I really like Moto2. This is the last step before entering MotoGP. »
« When KTM company boss Stefan Pierer informed me at the Austrian Grand Prix in August that KTM was withdrawing from Moto2 as a chassis manufacturer and that I was to enter Moto3, a very important category for KTM, my first reaction was: Wow! Because Moto3 is a crazy class and my heart is not very young anymore. I wonder if I will watch the races live. Maybe I won't look at the results until the checkered flag is waved... » comments Hervé on speedweek.
He adds : " but it's true that I like working with young drivers. I really like the project of supporting Iker Lecuona, 20 years old, for his first MotoGP season. I really liked what I achieved with Miguel in 2019. What I like about young drivers is that they are open to new ideas, they are ready to listen to me. I don't know everything about Grands Prix, but in almost 30 years as a team owner I have gained some experience. And I am happy to pass on my experience. I am not a robot. I like the human aspect of the Grands Prix. It's good for me that Pol Espargaró and Brad Binder are our two best riders in the KTM Factory team. When you have to work with the best drivers, sometimes the human side gets left behind because there is so much pressure and so much work. »
« From this point of view, I really like Moto3. I now have Deniz Öncü and Ayumu Sasaki as Moto3 riders at Tech3… They could be my grandchildren "Says Poncharal. " I can see in their eyes an enthusiasm that children usually have under the Christmas tree. It's good. Sasaki, who comes from Honda, even bought new orange-colored sneakers for the first KTM test. »
« Additionally, Red Bull's Stefan Pierer and Niki Ruhstorfer made me understand how important Moto3 is to their company “, declared the Frenchman. “ Red Bull wants to do a lot more in Moto3. After the Rookies Cup, young drivers will be even better supported in the world championship. Red Bull has planned two gatherings with all the top MotoGP and Moto3 riders at the Performance Center in Thalgau. The first has already happened. More attention should be paid to young talents. I like this. In the KTM MotoGP Academy, future riders will also be brought to MotoGP. »
« At the Valencia Grand Prix, Aki Ajo and I had dinner with KTM boss Stefan Pierer ", Explain Poncharal. " He asked us what we needed for Moto3. He wanted to know where the greatest vulnerability was. I replied, “I’m new to this class, I can’t say anything yet.” Aki then said that we had to work mainly on the engine power, there was no top speed. Stefan Pierer and board member Hubert Trunkenpolz assured us that Moto3 is and remains a key program for KTM. Stefan told Pit Beirer: “ we definitely need to improve and regain control in this category“. This is why I am happy and confident. At the November test in Jerez, my new Moto3 team assured me that there were more KTM engineers in the pits than there were a year ago in Moto2. This gives us a lot of confidence. But we also know that we don't have winning drivers due to the late decision. This is why we consider the 2020 Moto3 season as preparation for 2021. But I have faith in Sasaki to finish in the top five of the championship. »
