Fifth in the provisional World Championship ranking, tied on points with fourth Takaaki Nakagami, the leader of the KTM team is preceded by fabio quartararo, Maverick Vinales and Andrea Dovizioso after the two races in Jerez. For the 2 Moto2013 World Champion, it is his best start to the season since he joined KTM in 2017.
Pol's previous best results at Jerez on the RC16 were 11th in 2018 and 13th in 2019. This year's progress is therefore impressive with 6th and 7th positions. “Jerez was a difficult place for us in the past”, recognized Pol with Günther Wiesinger for Speedweek. com. " Now there are two circuits with Brno and Spielberg which suit us much better. »
Some were upset that a steel frame and WP suspensions (all other brands trust Öhlins) could be used to try to win in MotoGP. A former KTM technician from the two-stroke era (125 and 250 cc), who fought with aluminum frames from England and Öhlins elements, even pointed out during the 3 Brno GP that the Frame material had to be determined by the technicians and not by the company boss. Because Stefan Pierer has always insisted on this point: “The steel frame is the DNA of KTM. It's our religion. Thanks to our technology, we are the global market leader in this sector. »
“We have extensive experience with steel alloys at KTM “, confirmed Pit Beirer, director of motorsport at KTM. “We assume that the extreme heat in Jerez means that our steel frames warped less than the competition's aluminum versions. With the 2021 chassis with square tubes, which are now used in some places, we have certainly made progress in terms of driving behavior and tire life. Together with our technology partner Pankl Racing in Styria, we have gained valuable experience in steel chassis construction in recent years. »
“In the second race at Jerez I lost more time on the winner than in the first,” remarked Pol Espargaró. “But what matters in the end are the points. The second Sunday was a very difficult day, if only because I had to start from 12th instead of 6th place like seven days before. At the start I saw the best drivers right in front of me. But then I made a mistake and Petrucci and my brother Aleix caught me. »
“Behind my brother, the heat was getting stronger and stronger, I ran out of air during laps,” added Brad Binder's teammate. “The heat got the better of me. At one point I saw Dovizioso in front of me, but he was too far away. I couldn't catch him. My brother then fell in front of me. There were many falls around me, including Petrucci's. So I tried to finish seventh. It was better to take all nine points with me in this short championship. It was without a doubt the hardest race of my life. »
“The second race in Jerez was especially more difficult for me because I made a mistake during qualifying and therefore only had to start from twelfth place. I paid for this! In the first laps I had to fight with guys you shouldn't fight with. »
“We lost about six seconds in the first five or six laps. Then we were finished. Even the Aprilia was difficult to overtake. When you're in the back, the front tire gets very, very hot. Then it is impossible to overtake on the brakes. If you lose six seconds on some factory machines in this short phase, how are you going to make up for that deficit? »
“If anyone had predicted that we would go to Brno with fifth place in the World Championship before the two races in Jerez, we would never have thought it possible,” Pol said. “This shows the great work that KTM has done in the winter. Of course, the bike has to perform. And we saw that Yamaha already had engine problems, as did Ducati and Aprilia. At KTM there were no engine problems. It's a team sport. It is not an individual sport. And thanks to our teamwork, we are fourth in the constructors' championship. »
“Before the start of the season, we certainly didn't expect to be able to easily enter the top 6 or top 7. But we managed to do it despite a bad start and the unbearable heat of the second GP. These were not normal circumstances. We have done very well so far. We are all happy about it. »
Photos © Polarity Photo for KTM
