KTM MotoGP reflect on their progress with RC16

KTM MotoGP Report Card

2018 has been a term of encouraging progression for the team, factory and the prototype KTM RC16 race machine in what is only KTM’s second season at the pinnacle of motorcycle competition.

With 51 points in total – test rider Mika Kallio also weighing in with his contribution in Qatar and Spain – Red Bull KTM have improved in all but two events and accumulated 29 more than they had managed at this stage in 2017 (where they had logged 22 points).

The team have bettered their fastest lap at seven of eight Grands Prix (discounting Catalunya for the revised 2018 layout): the most notable of these achievements coming at Qatar, Austin and Assen where the quickest time was more than a second under their 2017 efforts.

KTM MotoGP ReportCard August — KTM MotoGP Report Card

Thanks to fine-tuning with chassis, electronics and engine settings to make the most of the Michelin control-tyre potential, the crew have also helped Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Kallio vastly shrink the race distance to the eventual winner. There has been a significant reduction at every Grand Prix, and the standout is undoubtedly at Assen – one of the trickiest and most rapid courses on the calendar – where the gap to victor Marc Marquez plunged from 69.3 seconds to just 15.8.

MotoGP Assen EspP GP AN — Pol Espargaro was only 15 seconds off race winner Marquez at Assen – Image by AJRN

Before his unlucky knee injury at Sachsenring, Kallio had been helping to develop the latest version of the RC16; a model that troubled the top ten of the grid at Jerez in May. Technical evolution is concise, relentless and ‘sixth gear’ for the team and the whole R&D staff back at Mattighofen.

MotoGP Sachsenring Zarco Smith — MotoGP 2018
Round Nine – Sachsenring

KTM Team Manager – Mike Leitner

“We try to have a constant development of the bike, so when we’re able to bring something in, we’ll do it,” Team Manager Mike Leitner admitted to during an assessment of the manufacturer’s young MotoGP story and outlook for the future. “But, of course, we’re trying to stay within the rules and the rules in MotoGP are also quite tight. So some things we can only bring next year and we try to constantly improve our ‘2018’ bike on all aspects: we work to try and improve on the chassis side, we work hard on the electronics and engine side, the aerodynamics side, so let’s see what we can bring in this second half (of the season). It won’t be everything at once, it’ll be step by step.”

MotoGP Sachsenring Smith Nakagami — MotoGP 2018
Round Nine – Sachsenring

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team will continue their learning curve at Brno this weekend before heading straight to their home Grand Prix at Red Bull Ring on August 12th.