Only 0.261 seconds behind Fabio Quartararo at the end of the MotoGP tests in Sepang thanks to Pol Espargaró, the KTMs suffered more in Qatar despite the very good performance of Brad Binder who placed the first RC16 0.425 seconds behind Maverick Viñales.
Similarly, Mattighofen's machines averaged 0,745 seconds in Malaysia this year compared to 0,945 at Losail.
We nevertheless remember that they were 1,787 seconds at Sepang in 2019 and 1,449 in Qatar during the 2019 tests.
Hervé Poncharal explains: “The last MotoGP test is finished, which is exciting news because it means that the next time we are on track it will be for the first round, which everyone has been waiting for since the end of the Valencia race . »
“I think the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team had a productive winter test, with six days in Sepang and another three days here in Qatar. We knew that the Losail International Circuit is difficult for us and that it was going to be more difficult than what we experienced in Malaysia. But even if the final positions are not very good tonight, the gap with the leaders is much smaller than last year. »
“I can't say we're 100% satisfied, but I think we've collected a lot of useful data. I trust Miguel, Iker and the entire Tech3 team to find solutions to obtain the few tenths that will allow us to appear further forward. MotoGP itself is definitely a lot more competitive than it was in the past. We have 18 drivers in under a second, which shows how close everything is and how small improvements can gain you a few positions. »
“As usual and as always, I want the glass to be half full and not half empty, so we give ourselves a few days of rest, a few days of reflection, a few days to come up with good ideas, before returning to the Qatar to hopefully be where we would like to be, which is top 10/top 12.”
