KTM can be proud of its 2020 MotoGP season. His RC16 thus fully revealed itself by winning three victories, signing eight podiums and three pole positions, finishing fifth in the drivers' championship with Pol Espargaró and fourth in the constructors' standings bringing together six protagonists. A satisfaction that is all the more tenfold as it is the homemade recipes that are thus dedicated. Pit Beirer, the sports director, reminds us of this forcefully…
If the manufacturer KTM is currently succeeding in MotoGP, know that he only owes it to himself. Not only does he rely on his own strengths, but he also applies his recipes on the track by assuming his technical choices. These are characterized in particular with a tubular frame and suspensions WP which come out of its workshops.
« No one can blame us for copying concepts in the MotoGP category ", said Pete Beirer on speedweek. " We are a motorcycle manufacturer, we build everything in-house and take pride in our own developments. You will never reach the top in any sport or class if you copy. This is also seen in other industrial sectors around the world. If you're not innovative, just imitating the competition, you're always second or third ».
He adds : " you must have the courage to take your own developmental steps. Of course, this is always the most difficult and arduous way because you don't have anything like that as a reference. But when you start winning races with your own development, it becomes difficult for competitors to imitate your technique. Our chassis and suspension cannot be easily replicated. The associated know-how is located in Munderfing ". Which is the research center of the Austrian clan.
« We follow our own path, this forms the character of the racing department, the engineers involved and all employees. It gives confidence. This is exactly what the company needs to develop and produce excellent series models. You don't want to copy, you want to go your own way to strengthen your brand and gain a profile ", Explain Beirer.
Successful Swedish suspension manufacturer Öhlins has won every world championship title in the MotoGP class since the 2007 world championship triumph of Casey Stoner on Ducati and took all MotoGP victories from 2010 to the 2020 Brno Grand Prix. In the Czech Republic, KTM with WP suspension elements and Brad Binder indeed triumphed for the first time.
KTM wants to reach the top, stay there and grow
« We certainly received the first request from a MotoGP competitor on the Monday after Brno about suspensions Reveals Pete Beirer. “ But we did not have time to seriously treat this request at the time He adds. " Since then, no one has asked. At the moment we like to use WP hardware for ourselves. Even if people don't want to hear it anymore, after four years in the four-stroke MotoGP category, we are still very young compared to our competitors, most of them have been here since 2002 or 2003. We are currently building something in this category ».
« As soon as the MotoGP project stabilizes for us, so that we can say that the factory and customer teams are one, that everything is working, that we have finally reached the top and we will stay there, we will talk about this topic again. Of course, we would then offer WP products. We might want to discuss a second MotoGP customer team for 2022 » recalls a Beirer which thus confirms a desire for expansion, and why not with the clan of Valentino Rossi ...
