KTM has strengthened its test team by assigning a third rider in the person of Jonas Folger. The one who is mainly a German speaker, which remains an essential quality for the Mattighofen brand, is 29 years old, which makes him the youngest of the now trio working in the shadows, completed by Dani Pedrosa, 37 years old, and Mika Kallio who is an accomplished forty-something. Winner of five Grands Prix in his career, Folger also saw it die out due to health problems. But the Austrian brand placed its trust in it, revealing at the same time that it would not wait for the end of Stefan Bradl's contract at Honda to complete its workforce.
Numbers that which Pete Beirer emphasizes their importance in the RC16 project of MotoGP : " few people see the crucial work these guys do for our project, but their contribution is essential “, underlined the director of KTM Motorsport. “ That's why we decided to bring Jonas into the team alongside Mika and Dani, who both have so much knowledge about our bike and the steps we took ».
« We know Jonas Folger quite well«
On his new recruit, he specifies: “ we know Jonas quite well, he even rode our bike for a short time. He knows what it takes to take a bike to the top of a Grand Prix and he is still young and has a lot to give. He also has a physique and style that is different from Dani and Mika. This will help us in development. The test team is now very large, given the limited test days with the regular drivers ».
Pete Beirer finished : " from losing concession points to settlement, the testing team is essential to the entire program and you need to get the right people together. You need fantastic drivers and a fantastic group with the mechanics and all the staff. It's super important and I would say we now have some top-notch key people behind the scenes ". It will be recalled that this season, the test driver Dani Pedrosa will participate as a wild card in the next Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.
