The Grand Prix of Qatar can be considered a resistance test passed in the relationship established between Johann Zarco and the KTM factory. The end of a cycle, the abandonment of certain illusions and the discarding of false certainties. Both parties are now convinced: the motorcycle cannot be transformed for the rider, but the rider and the bike must find an agreement from which they will have to build their story. The boss on the track Pete Beirer tells how we got there on the evening of a tense performance in Losail. But saving.
KTM, however, had reasons for satisfaction in leaving the Losail track. Over the past two years, the Mattighofen firm has never brought home any points from this meeting in Doha. This time, she left with the points for twelfth place by a Pol Espargaro just over twelve seconds behind the winner. And his new recruit Johann zarco collected another, that of fifteenth position.
But no one was smiling at KTM. Because we expected better. In particular from a pilot: Johann zarco. The man who commands the orange shirts on the field Pit Beirer announces the color thus: “ when you were in pole position in Qatar the year before, like Johann Zarco, playing against Oliveira is not the level you want to be at ».
An introduction that takes us behind the scenes of the KTM box: “ it is obvious that Johann has difficulties and that we have not resolved them. He is not comfortable with the motorcycle. And when a rider is not comfortable with his bike on the eve of a Grand Prix, then your nerves can be on edge. ».
He recalls : " at Sepang during the test he said he felt better with the front tire. He told anyone who would listen. But the fact is that on Saturday, in Qatar, the tone was a little harsher. It's never pleasant. But there is no such thing as a turnaround in half an hour. The wrong direction was certainly taken in the adjustments made to Johann's bike. We knew after qualifying on Saturday that the wind would not change on Sunday in the race. We had resigned ourselves to not being able to approach the start of the season well. But I'm happy with the fact that he stayed in the race and finished it. Now we can work and move forward ».
That being said, Pete Beirer don’t throw stones at his team… “ We'll have to get to work. Johann had something in mind in Doha that didn't work out. He knew he could take pole position in Qatar with his riding style applied to his bike from last year. He was obsessed with it, he threw it in each of our faces. He didn't want to adapt to the bike. He wanted to ride like he did in 2018. He wanted to ride the KTM like that ».
« But at some point he had to change and accept that it's never the same bike and that all bikes also have their own qualities. You need to highlight these other qualities. We all know now that we can't do another Yamaha. But maybe we can make an even better KTM ».
At the microphone speedweek, he finishes on the box of zarco : " I have nothing to say against the chief engineer Marcus Eschenbacher. If there was any criticism to be made, I would start with myself. I'm the one in charge of everything. And if I questioned my team from the first Grand Prix, then I would be a very bad boss. We are in full construction. And we will build. We will solve the problems and have fun with Zarco at KTM ».
