It is one of the events which will have marked this MotoGP season which has not yet delivered all its conclusions. But seeing a rider with an official two-year contract with a factory prematurely end his lease due to unhappiness and bad experiences on his bike is a special event, if not historic in the industry. . Case law given by Johann Zarco at KTM. How did we get here ? Mika Kallio, who replaced him at the start after the leaders of the Austrian brand finally decided to do without the Frenchman after Misano, gives his perception of things…
The soap opera enters Johann zarco et KTM will go down in history. With its multiple interpretations. The double Moto2 World Champion has his idea, and at KTM we also have our beliefs. Mika Kallio, within the walls of Mattighofen since the start of the project RC16 therefore has the experience to issue an opinion. He experienced this period from the inside and it is now he who is in the place of the starter who is off to a good start.
The Finn thus explains on speedweek : " it's easy to say that every motorcycle has its own DNA. Each machine has different characteristics. He came from a Yamaha and he changed to our bike. The Yamaha has a completely different side to the KTM. So you really have to adjust the sensations and the driving style. »
I'm not the right person to say "okay, that was his problem." But he certainly had expectations on the bike and then he didn't know what was happening: because he was expecting something and the return was different, and he couldn't handle the situation. »
I know he worked hard to change things, but in the end it didn't work. For what ? It's hard to say. Of course, everyone helped him and I tried in the best possible way to help him, I gave him some advice. But in the end, it didn't work. »
Mika Kallio concludes: “perhaps he could have been more open to advice. But everyone has their own way of doing things, and such a situation is never easy when you have so many difficulties. » He adds: “many come and say their opinion, we have to change this and that, then it will be better… If you listen to everyone, you need some kind of filter, because you have to believe in something. I don't know if he acted correctly or not. But anyway, that's how it is. »
