These last 2018 Grands Prix seem like a repetition of what will take place in 2019. Thus, between Lorenzo et Marquez, relationships arise both on the track and behind the scenes while waiting to really share the Honda stand in a little over a month now. There are also evaluations before integration and this work has been carried out for a while by KTM on its new recruit. Johann zarco. The Frenchman even began to worry the Austrians before Buriram’s performance…
It must be said that he needed ten races to finally find himself in the top five after finishing second at Jerez on May 6. The Buriram route, in Thailand, wiped the Aragon slate, materialized by a fourteenth position 32,3 seconds behind the winner and with a Karel Abraham in the aspiration... The fifth position and the 2.7 seconds behind the leader at the end of the first Grand Prix of the overseas tour which includes four has put the ideas back in place.
And to listen Pete Beirer, the sports man at KTM, there was a need… “ Johann Zarco had some slumps during the summer, and we didn't like it. This is why we noted with relief his strong performance in Buriram. Our goal remains unchanged, we still believe in Johann Zarco. He clearly demonstrated his talent in Thailand ».
The expectations for the arrival of the double Moto2 world champion are real: “ we want to be better with him from the first test in Valencia than now. We think our 2019 bike will be better than the current version and it will show as soon as it gets on it ". And it will be from November 20!
That being said, the man from Mattighofen also analyzes the career of the one who plays first place among the independent riders in terms of his Yamaha equipment: “ Johann is on a 2017 or 2016 bike and has not received any new parts since the contract was signed between KTM and the Tech3 team. What can he do with this bike? She is over two years old. And the season is even difficult for the two Yamaha factory riders… »
He insists : " I never feared that Johann would go through a crisis. He's doing a decent job, he's five points behind Cal Crutchlow who rides a 2018 factory Honda. And he's three points behind Petrucci who has a 2018 Ducati. After the Valencia Grand Prix, everything will be reset zero. He will have to achieve better results than, for example, in Aragon – and so will we ».
Beirer finished : " if you look at the trend of the top satellite teams every year, they get a bike from last year, which is very well tuned. They are therefore immediately competitive from the first race. But as soon as developments arrive on new motorcycles, customer teams move further and further back. This is the normal process every year ". But that should not happen in a Tech3-KTM couple promised as to work on the same version of the RC16…
