According to Oriol Puigdemont, journalist at Motorsport and El Pais, KTM should confirm, at the latest at the Catalan Grand Prix, the arrival of Pol Espargaro alongside Smith, already engaged with the Austrian firm.
If this were confirmed, "Polyccio" would therefore have favored a contract as a real factory rider, with the associated salary and even if it was with a bike that was still very young, in the face of indirect offers from Ducati and Yamaha.
The fact of finding Mr Smith in Mattighofen would perhaps not have been unrelated to his decision either, the two men getting along particularly well, whether on or off a circuit, and both residing in Andorra .
