How KTM have turned it around
Michael Scott on how KTM are delivering an emphatic mid-season turnaround
‘Oliveira credits test rider Dani Pedrosa’s input’ MICHAEL SCOTT
‘We made a step. Just a little bit here and there’ MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
In modern MotoGP, dumbdown tech rules and control tyres/electronics have made the difference between hero and zero very small. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than the progress of KTM, in this year alone.
Fresh from their breakthrough triple-win 2020 season, factory teamsters Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder between them only once managed to get into the top ten in the first five rounds. The euphoria of last year was replaced with puzzled looks.
Then came some new parts – most importantly a new chassis. For the next three races, Oliveira’s been twice second and once first, Binder snapping at his heels, with a fourth and a fifth.
The multilingual and articulate Oliveira explains it with trademark level-headedness. “Since Mugello we made a little step. It’s just a little bit here and there.” But a huge difference, enabling the Portuguese rider to deploy his combination of consistent speed and intelligent tactics to devastating effect.
On Sunday in Germany, he matched winner Marquez for lap after lap, and set fastest lap of the race… but was unfortunately not close enough to attack. Oliveira credits test rider Dani Pedrosa’s input, “as an outsider”, for the progress, with transformative chassis changes reducing problems they were having with Michelin’s softer front tyres. The key, however, is the wall-to-wall effort in the factory race department, able to translate input to improvements, and get them to the racetrack promptly… currently beleaguered Honda can only envy this.
The changes allow riders to brake and turn-in harder, exploiting one of the RC16’s strong points. Faster exits add value to another strong point – the engine. Ducati can no longer be guaranteed to top the charts. At
Mugello, Binder equalled Zarco’s 225.18mph Losail speed record, in Germany he was one mph slower than the fastest Duke. KTM’s march to rival the top factories has taken time.
In 2005 engine supply to Team Roberts was short-lived, and ended acrimoniously, with little achieved. They returned in 2017, with the 90-degree V4’s crank spinning forwards (WP suspension was another break with convention). Results for Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith were underwhelming, a couple of ninths their best. But the effort impressed, new parts coming thick and fast.
Next year a close-firinginterval engine with a reverse crank saw some progress, including Espargaro’s third in the wet at a sodden Valencia; but more tangible improvement in 2019, now with a Tech 3 satellite team added, claimed eight top tens. Generously backed by Red Bull, KTM continued to throw parts at the project, and the reward came when rookie Binder took an assured first win at Brno. Oliveira followed with two more, with a total of eight podiums. The success cost KTM their concession-team status, allowing free testing and engine development, but an MSMA ruling left the latter open until the beginning of this year. Recent results make it look like KTM won’t need any further help to fight MotoGP’s big beasts on equal terms.