Once again this year comes the moment when the Austrian hills come alive with the sound of KTM's home race at the Red Bull Ring.
So, of course, the only place to see and be seen before the myWorld Motorrad Austrian Grand Prix is the KTM headquarters in Mattighofen, where Pol Espargaro et John Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miguel Oliveira et Hafiz Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Brad Binder, George Martin et Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made another visit on Wednesday.
Preparing for a home race weekend means it's all hands on deck, and the drivers have had a taste of the other side of the wall. How do motorcycles get from the workshop in the factory to the track, ready for racing? It was time to find out when the pilot team changed into overalls and got their hands dirty.
With some guidance from boss Pit Beirer, the riders were tasked with taking over. Pol Espargaro became familiar with aero and learned how to put on fairings and change the front wheel, while his teammate Johann zarco learned to change the rear wheel.
Miguel Oliveira, for his part, headed towards the engine guys to get to know his machine inside out, Hafiz Syahrin being responsible for loading the truck… And maneuvering it to hit the road. A few honks later, the Malaysian briefly headed off into the sunset.
Brad Binder headed over to the WP section to take a closer look at the front forks, getting his hands dirty and showing off some skills, as sparks flew for his teammate George Martin, who did some welding.
Can Öncü, meanwhile, was tasked with bringing some magic out of the 3D printer. (Not as easy as it looks).
Then each rider prepared for the race, a well-known expression in these parts, before leaving the factory with the KTM they had chosen for Spielberg. All except Öncü, that is, who had to ride behind Brad Binder. One of the benefits of being the youngest on the grid is breaking records, but a true rookie is not allowed to ride on the road….
This road now leads to Spielberg and the Red Bull Ring, with a stunning track waiting for the action to begin. Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. (GMT +2) is when the flag will lower for testing and the chatter will stop, before racing at the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix of Austria gets underway on Sunday.
Pol Espargaro : “It's been a pretty good year so far and I think we've had some good races and qualifying, been in the top ten a lot of times and been in the front group a few times during qualifying and practice sessions. We are developing the KTM quite well, we are getting into good positions and we are having fun in the races, and now we are at our national GP which is so important and so enjoyable. Last year I couldn't race here; it was very frustrating waiting for this race all year and having this huge crash right before the race and then being in the hospital watching the guys. So, finally we will be there and with the KTM fans. I'm very happy to be here and try to have the best race possible, and hopefully the best race of the season which is going to be difficult... But we're going to try! ".
Johann zarco : “I feel happy at the moment, and it's always nice to come here to the factory. As a driver and lover of mechanics, it's always nice. And that gives you extra motivation because when you see this place and everyone who works there, you think maybe it's possible to do even better. I feel good and I’m crossing my fingers that I have a good weekend.”
Miguel Oliveira : “I'm super excited, it's a home GP for us with KTM and Red Bull, and all the bosses will be there! It's definitely the right time for this project to make a good result for them. We have a good army of orange KTMs on the grid and we hope we have a good weekend.”
Hafiz Syahrin : “This is the second time I have come here; the first time was at the start of the season in winter, it was too cold and there was lots of snow! It's great to come to a place like here. We did a lot of things with the other drivers and I liked it. And we saw how they make motorcycles. I drove the truck out of the factory and it was an incredible experience.”
Brad Binder : “It was really cool. This is my fourth trip to the factory this year, but it's the first time I've actually had to do something! It was cool to see how everything works. So thanks to the guys for welcoming us, or putting up with us, today! It's a big weekend for us, a big weekend for the team, KTM and Red Bull, so obviously I want to get a good result for the guys. We have done a lot of work this year and they really deserve it, so regarding this weekend, I hope it will be the best of the season so far.”
Source and photo credit: MotoGP.com
